Twitter will soon display only tweets from Twitter Blue members in the algorithmically curated “For You” feed that users see by default, CEO Elon Musk has announced. The change will take effect from April 15—two weeks after Twitter is due to start removing the “legacy” blue checks from users who are merely notable and haven’t agreed to pony up $8 a month for Twitter Blue.
In other words, the next few weeks will see Twitter become a much more stratified service. It was already the case that Twitter Blue subscribers can post longer tweets than regular users, but now they will also have exclusive access to the platform’s primary amplification system. (Disclosures: Like many journalists, I have for many years been granted a blue tick to verify the authenticity of my account; and as I won’t pay for the new kind of blue tick, I will rejoin the unwashed masses come Saturday. Life is hard.)
