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Musk’s Plans Around Verification, Moderation, and Payments on Twitter are Slowly Becoming Clear

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Musk Will Seek Evidence from Twitter’s Former Product Chief as He Looks to Exit His Takeover Deal

As we head into Thanksgiving, the various controversies and developments around Twitter continue to evolve, with new boss Elon Musk still throwing around ideas and making sweeping changes at the app.

And while there is still a question around whether Twitter will even remain online, due to reduced oversight of its systems, if it does, the next steps will see major shifts in direction at the app.

Catching you up, here’s a look at all the latest key developments at Twitter HQ, which could impact the platform moving forward.

Delayed verification

Musk’s first major move at Twitter, his $8 verification for all plan, has been delayed once again, with Musk noting that they need to establish better systems to combat impersonation before moving ahead.

The controversial program was launched to some users earlier this month, before being shut down after a couple of days due to confusion caused by impersonators in the app. Last week, Musk set a new target date of November 29th for a re-launch of the program, but now, that date seems to be off the cards too, as Twitter explores the potential ramifications of the checkmark-for-sale process.

Look, this is a confusing, misguided initiative – and that’s not to say that Musk is wrong about everything or to question his grand plan for the app (calm down, Elon fanfolk). Musk may well be able to get Twitter on a path to growth, and I would bet on his team eventually getting things together. But an $8 monthly fee for blue checkmarks isn’t it.

I suspect that Musk will eventually see this – with the concession of gray ‘Official’ ticks already a tacit acknowledgment of the flaws in this approach.

The vectors for potential manipulation are far too high – though I do think the alternative color options for checkmarks of different kinds could be a better approach towards verifying actual humans in the app, if Twitter also incorporates a form of ID checking into the process.

As I noted at the first suggestion of Musk’s checkmark/verification program, rather than selling blue ticks, Musk would be better off giving these new verified users a different color of checkmark, which would clarify that they are a real person, while also leaving the existing and established verification markers as is, limiting confusion in the app.

The problem is, people won’t pay $8 for these alternative markers – but I suspect that most users aren’t going to pay $8 for blue ticks either.

But maybe, with an improved Twitter Blue package, Elon can still make this into a more appealing offering.

We’ll find out when it eventually gets re-launched.

Content Moderation – Musk Style

Musk’s communicated vision of a Content Moderation Council, which would be made up of academics, civil rights leaders and other experts, and would rule on content decisions in the app, now appears to be in tatters – or at least, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to have the influence or power over Twitter’s moderation process as Musk implied when he first floated the concept a few weeks back.

As noted, within days of taking over at the app, and in an effort to reassure advertisers that he wasn’t going to let Twitter become a ‘free-for-all hellscape’, Musk said that Twitter would formulate a moderation council to oversee its biggest decisions.

Note the specific comment about reinstatements – with users calling on Musk to reinstate former President Donald Trump’s account, Musk tried to placate them with this stance, which meant that he no longer had to make a quick decision on the Trump case specifically.

Except, then he did.

Over the weekend, Musk decided to let the people decide, by holding a Twitter poll on whether Trump should be allowed back on the app. The poll, which garnered more than 15 million votes, narrowly went in favor of allowing the former President to return – and in contradiction of his previous stance, Musk then reactivated Trump’s account.

Which, apparently, caught Twitter’s sales team off-guard, who had been working to reassure ad partners that Musk wouldn’t just arbitrarily make such decisions.

Turns out, he will – while Musk has also now stated that the Content Moderation Council, if and when it is established, won’t have the final say over any major decisions.

As reported by The Verge’s Alex Heath, Musk has explained to Twitter staff that:

“This is an advisory council. I will hear what they have to say and I will either agree with it or I won’t.”

So it’s really Elon making the calls. If there was any confusion around who’s in charge, and who, ultimately, will decide what is and is not allowed, this is the answer

Which is probably not what ad partners wanted to hear.

Musk has also stated that Alex Jones will not be allowed back on the app, because of his personal views on Jones’ past actions.

So again, if there were any question, it’s Elon who’s writing the rules. No one else.  

Staff changes

After cutting Twitter’s staff headcount by over 64% (some reports have suggested even more), Musk has now laid down a new set of regulations for Twitter’s remaining employees, which includes the proviso that they now need to send Musk himself weekly updates of what they’re working on, along with examples of code for engineers.

The approach is emblematic of Musk’s Twitter management strategy – Musk has already told all staff that they’ll be expected to work ‘long hours at high intensity’ in order to get the app back on track, with this additional micro-management approach adding extra impetus and pressure, in order to keep things progressing.

Which may seem extreme – but then again, when you’re on the line for $44 billion, you’d imagine that there would be a strong desire for oversight.

Musk has also cut staff benefits, in order to reduce costs, though he has also reassured those remaining that the staff cuts are done for now, with the company actively hiring new engineering and sales staff.

On that front, Musk has also tasked his team with setting up engineering teams in lower cost markets, like Indonesia, which could be another way to maintain momentum, and get the app back on track.

Crypto payments

Another aspect of Musk’s Twitter takeover which is far less clear at this stage, but potentially far more significant, is his push to facilitate payments via tweet.

Musk, who co-founded PayPal back in 2000, has a long-held interest in improving the ACH transfer process, while Musk has also been a big supporter of certain crypto projects, including his favored Dogecoin currency.

Some have speculated that, given Musk’s history, and the fact that Binance is an equity investor in Musk’s Twitter, Musk will be looking to build streamlined payments into Twitter, in order to convert the platform into a key transfer portal, and then expand that into in-stream shopping, bill payments, remittance, etc.

Again, it’s still early, but this week, Musk reportedly informed Twitter employees that he is indeed looking to build crypto payments into the app, and that he expects payments to eventually be ‘more valuable than all the rest of Twitter combined’.

This is a difficult area, and one which all social platforms have explored at different times. Meta’s likely best-placed to make payments work, and it’s been trying to integrate Meta Pay into developing markets, like India and Indonesia, for years, in order to establish Facebook and WhatsApp as the equivalent of China’s WeChat in those regions.

WeChat, of course, has become a key utility in China, and is used by over a billion people to do everything online, from buying train tickets, to grocery shopping, to booking doctors appointments.

In the past, Meta’s also attempted to convert Messenger into the western version of WeChat, with the integration of various expanded functionalities, but it’s never caught on in the same way, but in developing regions, there is still a chance that WhatsApp, for example, could act as its equivalent platform in India.

But getting local approval for payments has proven challenging, and it’s taking time to expand habitual behaviors in the app.

Interestingly, Musk has also flagged his intent to build his own, western version of WeChat, with an app concept that he calls ‘X’, which, in his view, will be ‘the everything app’. Musk has said that he views Twitter as ‘an accelerant to X’, and while the full blueprint is not yet clear, it does seem that introducing payments on Twitter would be a key step towards that broader goal.  

But again, western audiences haven’t shown any real interest in a localized version of WeChat, so he will have a task ahead of him. But big-picture thinking is what he does, so…

There’s a lot going on at Twitter HQ, and most of it is still in flux, but over time, we’re starting to get some more solid frameworks emerging as to where Musk and his new team will be headed with the app.

All of this will take time to develop, especially with such a significant reduction in headcount, but I do expect that Twitter will stabilize at some point, as Musk settles onto some more viable, concrete directions for the app.

So long as it doesn’t crash entirely before then.



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An Overview of the Evolving Data Landscape Powering AI, VR, and More [Infographic]

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An Overview of the Evolving Data Landscape Powering AI, VR, and More [Infographic]

While AI and large language models (LLMs) become more commonplace, it’s worth considering the amount of computational power, and data storage, that these systems require to operate. 

Demand for high-grade GPUs, for example, is still exceeding demand, as more tech companies and investors look to muscle in, while the big players continue to build on their data center capacity, in order to beat smaller systems out of the market.

That, inevitably, means that control over many of these new processes will eventually fall to those with the most money, and even if you have concerns about next-level computational power being governed by CEOs and corporations, there’s not a heap that you can do about it, as they need an established holding to even get in.

Well, unless a government steps in and seeks to build its own infrastructure in order to facilitate AI development, though that seems unlikely.

And it’s not just AI, with crypto processes, complex analysis, and advanced scientific discovery now largely reliant on a few key providers that have available capacity.

It’s a concern, but essentially, you can expect to see a lot more investment in big data centers and processing facilities over the coming years.

This new overview from Visual Capitalist (for Hive Digital) provides some additional context. Here, the VC team have broken down the current data center landscape, and what we’re going to need to facilitate next-level AI, VR, the metaverse, and more.

It’s an eye-opening summary. You can check out Visual Capitalists’ full overview here.

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30 Quick Ways to Increase Your Website’s Conversion Rate [Infographic]

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30 Quick Ways to Increase Your Website’s Conversion Rate [Infographic]

Looking to drive more direct conversions from your website listings this holiday season?

The team from Red Website Design share 30 ways to improve your website conversion rate in this infographic.

Here’s the top five from the list:

  • Include as few fields as possible on forms
  • Use testimonials
  • Clearly state product/service benefits
  • Include subscriber and social media follower counts
  • Write clear, compelling copy

Check out the infographic for more detail.

A version of this post was first published on the Red Website Design blog.

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With the end of the Hollywood writers and actors strikes, the creator economy is the next frontier for organized labor

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With the end of the Hollywood writers and actors strikes, the creator economy is the next frontier for organized labor

Hollywood writers and actors recently proved that they could go toe-to-toe with powerful media conglomerates. After going on strike in the summer of 2023, they secured better pay, more transparency from streaming services and safeguards from having their work exploited or replaced by artificial intelligence.

But the future of entertainment extends well beyond Hollywood. Social media creators – otherwise known as influencers, YouTubers, TikTokers, vloggers and live streamers – entertain and inform a vast portion of the planet.

For the past decade, we’ve mapped the contours and dimensions of the global social media entertainment industry. Unlike their Hollywood counterparts, these creators struggle to be seen as entertainers worthy of basic labor protections.

Platform policies and government regulations have proved capricious or neglectful. Meanwhile, creators’ bottom-up initiatives to collectively organize have sputtered.

Living on the edge

Industry estimates regarding the size and scale of the creator economy vary. But Citibank estimates there are over 120 million creators, and an April 2023 Goldman Sachs report predicted that the creator economy would double in size, from US$250 billion to $500 billion, by 2027.

According to Forbes, the “Top 50 Creators” altogether have 2.6 billion followers and have hauled in an estimated $700 million in earnings. The list includes MrBeast, who performs stunts and records giveaways, and makeup artist-cum-true crime podcaster Bailey Sarian.

The windfalls earned by these social media stars are the exception, not the norm.

The venture capitalist firm SignalFire estimates that less than 4% of creators make over $100,000 a year, although YouTube-funded research points to a rising middle class of creators who are able to sustain careers with relatively modest followings.

These are the users who find themselves most vulnerable to opaque changes to platform policies and algorithms.

Platforms like to “move fast and break things,” to use Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s infamous expression. And since the creator economy relies on social media platforms to reach audiences, creators’ livelihoods are subject to rapid, iterative changes in platforms’ features, services and agreements.

Yes, various platforms have introduced business opportunities for creators, such as YouTube’s advertising partnership feature or Twitch’s virtual goods store. However, the platforms’ terms of use can flip on a switch. For example, in September 2022, Twitch changed its fee structure. Some streamers who were retaining 70% of all subscription revenue generated from their accounts saw this proportion drop to 50%.

In 2020, TikTok, facing rising competition from YouTube Shorts and Instagram reels, launched its billion-dollar Creator Fund. The fund was supposed to allow creators to get directly paid for their content. Instead, creators complained that every 1,000 views only translated to a few cents. TikTok suspended the fund in November 2023.

Bias as a feature, not a bug

The livelihoods of many fashion, beauty, fitness and food creators depend on deals brokered with brands that want these influencers to promote goods or services to their followers.

Yet throughout the creator economy, people of color and those identifying as LGBTQ+ have encountered bias. Unequal and unfair compensation from brands is a recurring issue, with one 2021 report revealing a pay gap of roughly 30% between white creators and creators of color.

Along with brand biases, platforms can exacerbate systemic bias. Creator scholar Sophie Bishop has demonstrated how nontransparent algorithms can categorize “desirability” among influencers along lines of race, gender, class and sexual orientation.

Then there’s what creator scholar Zoë Glatt calls the “intimacy triple bind”: Marginalized creators are at higher risk of trolling and harassment, they secure lower fees for advertising, and they are expected to divulge more personal details to generate more engagement and revenue.

Couple these precarious conditions with the whims and caprices of volatile online communities that can turn beloved creators into villains in the blink of a text or post, and even the world’s most successful creators live on a precipice of losing their livelihoods.

Food influencer Larry Mcleod, 47, better known on social media as Big Schlim, reviews the restaurant Shellfish Market in Washington, D.C.
Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Rumblings of solidarity

Unlike their counterparts in the legacy media industries, creators have neither taken easily nor well to collective action as they operate from their bedrooms and fight for more eyeballs.

Yet some members of this creator class recognize that the bedroom-boardroom power imbalance is a bottom line matter that requires bottom-up initiative.

The Creators Guild of America, or CGA, which launched in August 2023, is but one of many successors to the original Internet Creators’ Guild, which folded in 2019. Paradoxically, CGA describes itself as a “professional service organization,” not a labor union, yet claims to offer benefits “similar to those offered by unions.”

There are other movements afoot: A group of TikTok creators formed a Discord group in September 2022 to discuss unionizing. There’s also the Twitch Unity Guild, a program launched in December 2022 for networking, development and celebration and includes a dedicated Discord space. In response to the rampant bias in influencer marketing, creator-led firms like “F–k You Pay Me ” are demanding greater fairness, transparency and accountability from brands and advertisers.

Twitch streamers are already seeing some of their organizing efforts pay off. In June 2023, after a year of repeated changes in streamer fees and brand deals, the company capitulated in response to the backlash of their top streamers threatening to leave.

None of these initiatives has yet attained the legal status of unions such as the Writers Guild of America. Meanwhile, efforts by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists to recruit creators have proved limited. Legal scholar Sara Shiffman has written about how SAG-AFTRA provides creators with health and retirement benefits, but offers no resources to ensure fair and equitable compensation from platforms or advertisers. Nonetheless, while on strike, SAG-AFTRA threatened creators that partnered with studios with a lifetime ban from joining the union.

And despite these bottom-up efforts, the tech behemoths refuse to recognize creators’ fledgling organizations. When a union for YouTubers formed in Germany in 2018, YouTube refused to negotiate with it. Nonetheless, you’ll see companies trot out their biggest stars when they find themselves under regulatory scrutiny. That’s what happened when TikTok sponsored creators to lobby politicians who were debating banning the platform.

People of all races and ages pose holding signs that read 'Keep TikTok' and 'My small business thrives on TikTok.'
TikTok creators gather outside the U.S. Capitol to voice their opposition to a potential ban on the app, highlighting the platform’s impact on their livelihoods.
Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

An invisible class of labor

Meanwhile, most governments have failed to provide support for – or even recognition of – creator rights.

Within the U.S., creators “barely exist” in official records, as technology reporters Drew Harwell and Taylor Lorenz recently pointed out in The Washington Post. The U.S. Census Bureau makes no mention of social media as a profession; it is invisible as a distinctive class of labor.

To date, the Federal Trade Commission is the only U.S. agency to introduce regulation tied to the work of creators, and it’s limited to disclosure guidelines for advertising and sponsored content.

Even as the European Union has operated at the forefront of tech and platform policy, creators rate scant mention in the body’s laws. Writing about the EU’s 2022 Digital Services Act, legal scholars Bram Duivendvoorde and Catalina Goanta criticize the EU for leaving “influencer marketing out of the material scope of its specific rules,” a blind spot that they describe as “one of its main pitfalls.”

The success of the 2023 Hollywood strikes could be just the beginning of a larger global movement for creator rights. But in order for this new class of creators to access the full breadth of their economic and human rights – to borrow from the movie “Jaws” – we’re gonna need a bigger boat.

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