Twitter's Preferred VIP List Amplifies Celebrity Accounts

In an effort to ensure that certain celebrities have their messages seen as often as possible, Twitter has reportedly granted around 35 VIP accounts a reach boost on the platform. Notable users on the list include Elon Musk, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Joe Biden, LeBron James, Ben Shapiro, and Mr. Beast. However, critics of the move have noted that this preferential treatment leads to a lack of diversity when it comes to the content being amplified, as well as alienates the majority of the platform's users who are not US-based. 

Reportedly, the VIP list appeared after Musk noticed that the activity of his own tweets was decreasing. In response, he instructed Twitter engineers to make his tweets seen by as many people as possible. The initiative was then extended to other VIPs on the list to encourage them to keep sharing their thoughts on the platform. In addition to Musk, the list also included several politicians, athletes, commentators, and YouTube stars.

However, this preferential treatment raises a number of concerns. For starters, it goes against the ethos of Twitter's leadership, which has been vocal in its opposition to social platform managers manually interfering with their systems. Additionally, the focus on US politicians, as well as the requirement to pay $8 per month in order to have tweets displayed in the main feed, alienates the majority of users who are not American and cannot afford such a fee. 

Though Twitter has stated that the VIP list will be continually updated, it should be noted that the current setup needs to represent the diversity of Twitter's user base. While the platform has more US users than any other region, US users only make up 17.5% of overall activities. This means that the content being pushed through the VIP list appeals to only a small portion of the Twitter population. 

In conclusion, Twitter's decision to grant a select few users a reach boost on the platform has raised a number of questions. From the potential for manual interference in the system to the lack of diversity in the content being pushed, the inclination to prioritize certain celebrity accounts has been met with criticism. It remains to be seen what action the platform will take in order to better reflect the diversity of its user base and ensure a fair distribution of content across the platform.