With its unique limited-character format, Twitter has become a well-known social media platform. NBC News’s report on Twitter notes how the platform has grown since Elon Musk became the new CEO of Twitter. This rise is especially evident in the US, where surveys of Twitter downloads show an average of 125,000 downloads per day, 42% higher than a similar period last year. In addition, the number of daily active users worldwide has increased by 4% higher than in 2021.
On top of growing users, there are also plenty of changes made to the platform, particularly under Musk’s leadership. It can be tricky to keep track of all the transformations, so in this article, we’ll recap the top Twitter changes you need to know:
Shifts in management
Since October 28, 2022, Elon Musk has been taking on radical changes at Twitter with his unique management style. LHH’s insights on Elon Musk’s approach note how the CEO’s implementation of a “hardcore” edict has prompted several concerns. Several high-profile users and advertisers have chosen to leave the platform due to these issues, but it will take months to get a clearer picture of Twitter’s success or failure. Until then, users and business leaders need to observe how the CEO will address critical concerns, such as employer branding, customer branding, and turnover costs. Businesses can also take away some management lessons from these sudden changes, as it highlights the importance of communication plans and consistency.
Relaunch of Twitter Blue
After a few days, Twitter Blue was suspended as several accounts started impersonating notable public figures and brands using paid verification badges. To remedy this, Twitter re-introduced a newer “Official” badge for some accounts — which has transitioned since Blue’s rereleased on December 12. A report by CNET on the blue checkmark notes how gold checkmarks appear on high-profile companies such as The New York Times, Apple, and Google, whereas famous figures keep a legacy version of the blue verified checkmark. People looking to have their blue check marks have to pay at least $8 while also being subject to manual authentication.
Changes in feed
Aside from the well-known Twitter Blue, the platform is also changing how tweets are presented. Twitter is expanding feed recommendations to show more tweets from people users don’t follow, with algorithms relying on user interests, previously interacted tweets, and other tweets within their network. In addition, there is also the worldwide release Community Notes, then named Birdwatch, which is meant to fight misinformation. Community Notes takes a crowd-sourced approach to append notes to add “context” to tweets, allowing others to vote on those amendments and provide greater understanding — helping people make more knowledgeable decisions.
Shifts towards “free speech”
A controversial part of the changing American Twitter landscape is their approach toward “free speech.” As reported by The Guardian on Musk’s arrival at Twitter, he reinstated previously suspended users such as Donald Trump, Kanye West, and Jordan Peterson, who were initially banned from the site due to Twitter’s rules on abuse and hate speech. Musk’s actions supporting free speech were especially evident in the release of the infamous “Twitter Files,” which featured emails ostensibly recovered from Hunter Biden’s laptop. Given these shifts, users must stay alert about the content shown on social media and ensure they can distinguish between fact and opinion.
Twitter has undergone several phases of change, and new features and events may continue arriving this coming 2023. By staying up-to-date with Twitter changes, users can maximize and enjoy all the platform offers. For detailed information on how to use the platform, we recommend visiting our Twitter guide on sensitive content on iOS or desktop apps.