Elon Musk said on Monday that only verified Twitter accounts would be eligible to vote in Twitter polls starting April 15, a move that the social media company’s CEO believes will address advanced AI bot swarms. Additionally, Musk mentioned that only verified accounts would be included in Twitter’s For You suggestions, which shows a stream of tweets from accounts.
A request for comment did not receive a response right away from Twitter.
Musk had previously stated that only paid Twitter Blue customers would be able to vote in policy-related polls on Twitter.
The decision fits in line with Musk’s efforts to convert all the users to the new Twitter Blue subscription, as he revealed last week that all old blue tick owners will soon start losing their verification badge.
Only verified accounts will be permitted to appear in For You recommendations as of April 15.
This is the only practical response to the takeover of powerful AI bot swarms. Otherwise, it is a losing struggle.
“Starting April 15th, only verified accounts will be eligible to be in For You recommendations. This is the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over. It is otherwise a hopeless losing battle. Voting in polls will require verification for same reason,” Musk tweeted.
The desperate push to make Twitter blue subscription comes at a time when the social networking site has been losing ad revenue ever since Elon Musk took over.
The company’s daily revenue was down 40% year over year, according to the January edition of the tech journal The Platformer report.
The report noted that advertisers have retreated in droves due to worries about a rise in hate speech on the site following its acquisition by a self-described “free speech absolutist.”