Twitter is rolling a pair of new features designed to increase user engagement with access to paid content and grouping into communities.
On Thursday, the social media giant unveiled “Super Followers,” which will allow users to restrict access to some content unless followers pay a fee.
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A representative of Twitter told the Washington Examiner that the feature will “allow creators and publishers to be directly supported by their audience and will incentivize them to continue creating content that their audience loves.”
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A second feature, called “Communities,” is designed to create groups centering on shared interest.
“This year, we’re making it easier for you to discover, participate, and form conversations with communities that share your interests. People already use Twitter to create community across a wide range of topics and this work builds on these existing conversations. Protecting the health and safety of the conversation within these communities is top of mind to us,” the spokeswoman told the Washington Examiner. “We’re looking at customization options including ways to set and enforce norms for communities, beyond the Twitter Rules.”
The announcement comes weeks after CEO Jack Dorsey announced Twitter was exploring the introduction of a tipping feature.
“I think the first thing we want to focus on is that economic incentive to people who are contributing to Twitter,” he said at the virtual Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference on Feb. 10.
The Silicon Valley corporation has attracted scrutiny in recent months for some of its rule enforcement in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill siege. Notably, the platform banned former President Donald Trump “due to the risk of further incitement of violence.“
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After competing platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube followed suit, Republicans in Congress decried Big Tech censorship and introduced plans for reform. In particular, they targeted Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a provision that protects social media companies from liability for content posted by their users.
