In a sizzling development over at Twitter, reports claim that there has been some sort of secret boosting to "VIP" accounts on the platform, putting them ahead of everyone, even its algorithm. Some of the VIPs boosted discretely on the platform include its CEO Elon Musk, famed YouTuber MrBeast, President of the United States Joe Biden, and more.
This boosting may be a conflict for some, especially as they want their feed to be customized or tailored to their liking, and it may be a problem to see several accounts which they do not follow appearing on their timeline.
Twitter Boosts VIPs in the Feed According to a Report
(Photo : CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images)
Platformer first reported that it found evidence behind the existing secret boost for VIPs in the platform, and this centers on verified and known names in their respective industries. Among the top on the list are Elon Musk, the famed CEO and multi-tech billionaire.
According to the report, this was initially intended by the company to look into the effects of Twitter's algorithms whenever there is a modification done to it. However, the engineers helped create a "tweak" to ensure that these VIPs remain on top, no matter what happens on the platform.
This was after Chief Tweet's drop in his engagements and visibility on the platform last December, claims the report.
The Verge reported that Musk fired an engineer over this fiasco.
Read Also: Twitter's Source Code Leaks on GitHub, as per Filing
Famous Personalities Get a Highlight-Unfair?
There is a list of as many as 35 accounts from high-profile individuals who get a highlight or special treatment for their visibility on the platform.
It includes the CEO himself, Elon Musk, YouTuber MrBeast, POTUS Joe Biden, LeBron James, Dril, Matthew Yglesias, Ben Shapiro, @catturd2, Marc Andreessen, Jaboukie Young-White, @teslaownerssv, Derek Guy, certain journalists, and more.
It may be unfair for users and other influencers as they try to expand their reach using their wits and talents, but VIPs receive this without much effort on their end.
Twitter and its Algorithm Now
Back when Elon Musk was still on the verge of acquiring the company for $44 billion, the tech CEO claimed that Twitter's algorithm did not make sense, and it may be something he foreshadowed to change when he owns it.
Since then, there have been several changes to what the app brings to the world, including the addition of the paid verification subscription that highly affects the algorithm of the platform.
One of the changes it brought was the addition of the "For You" page, and its main inspiration was TikTok, which offers content from people who one might like, based on their engagements and searches. Being closely related to the famous TikTok feature, the public expected it to be similar to the service, but an upcoming change on April 15 will revamp it.
There have been claims that Twitter no longer has a "fair" algorithm on the platform, and this was due to the recent firing of the company's ML Ethics, Transparency, and Accountability team director. This latest report centers on another unfair tactic by the company, as for whatever reason, these VIPs remain on top of the feed, with the secret boost expanding their reach on the platform.
Related Article: Elon Musk claims 'For You' Page will Only Display Twitter Verified Accounts Starting April 15-What For?
