Articles about Twitter

X (Twitter) alternative BlueSky opens sign-ups for everyone

Bluesky butterfly logo

If you always wanted to sign-up for the X (Twitter) alternative BlueSky but never managed to get your hands on an invite code, you will be glad to hear that these codes are no longer required to create an account.

The social media service, which managed to grow to over 3 million users already, is now available for everyone. The number of users pales in comparison to the 130 million that Meta's Threads managed to accumulate, but it is more than Mastadon's 1.8 million.

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You can now access X alternative Bluesky without an account

Bluesky butterfly logo

Elon Musk's impact at X -- or Twitter as it was when he bought the company -- has broadly been seen as negative. While some have welcomed his maverick approach to managing the social platform, it left many others seeking a new home. Bluesky and Mastodon quickly emerged as viable alternatives, although Meta has attempted to muscle in on the action with Threads.

Each platform has its own set of pros and cons, but a major obstacle for Bluesky is that it remains invite-only. On top of this, it has not been possible for anyone without an account to view posts made by others -- but this is now changing, as is the platform's logo.

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'Go f*@k yourself!': Elon Musk hits X-boycotting advertisers with profanity-laden attack

Elon Musk New York Times DealBook Summit

X CEO Elon Musk has used an appearance in New York to hit back at the growing number of advertisers opting to avoid the social platform. In recent weeks, there has been a mass exodus of big names such as Apple, Coca-Cola and Disney following concerns about antisemitism.

In mid-November, Musk endorsed an antisemitic tweet posted by another user, something he has since tried to walk back from, describing it as one of the worst posts he'd ever made. Unsettled, companies pulled advertising from the service, ultimately leading to Musk to implore them to "go fuck yourself".

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Social media security issues pose threat to election campaigns

A new report from access management platform Cerby highlights the critical need for best practices for businesses and political leaders to secure their accounts as the November 2024 US elections quickly approach.

Researchers analyzed social media platforms Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube across six key security parameters. The report provides detailed insights into gaps in their support for enterprise-grade authentication and authorization.

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Twitter alternative Pebble -- previously known as T2 -- announces shock closure

Balanced Zen stones

When Elon Musk took over at Twitter and set about implementing sweeping and controversial changes -- including renaming it to X -- there was a surge in rivals vying for attention. The likes of Mastodon and Bluesky dominated, and continue to do so, but there were also newcomers seeking to offer an alternative and a safe refuge for Twitter exiles.

One such option was T2, a social platform set up by two former Twitter employees. T2 recently rebranded to Pebble, but after initially enjoying a period of success the announcement has come that the service is closing down in a matter of days.

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X lets new users prove they're not a bot -- for a small fee

X -- the platform formerly known as Twitter -- is testing out a new 'Not A Bot' program that will allow users to pay a small annual fee to verify that they are in fact a real person.

Initially available only in New Zealand and the Philippines, it will require new and unverified users to verify their phone number and pay a nominal $1 per year in order to be able to post and interact with other posts.

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Instagram under Elon Musk's control as part of X, the 'everything app'? This is how it could work

The rivalry between tech billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg is hard to miss. There was, for a while, talk of the two men having a cage fight -- although that predictably came to nothing -- and  Zuckerberg's Meta recently introduced its "Twitter killer" app, Threads, after perceiving weakness in Musk's own social media platform (now called X).

While Threads hasn't been quite the huge hit that Meta was hoping for (just yet at least), it has clearly had some impact on X. You should never bet against Elon Musk though. If you've ever wondered what Meta's Instagram might look like if Musk took over that as part of X's expansion of the "everything app", we have the answer.

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Elon Musk makes history as Apple permits single-letter X app into App Store following Twitter rebrand

X app in App Store

Having previously rejected the X app from its App Store for having too short a name, Apple has had a change of heart, changing the rules for the renamed Twitter.

It used to be the case that app names had to be at least two characters in length, and this led to delay in getting the X app listed. But with Apple having relaxed for rules after Musk's latest example of spontaneity, X is the first -- and currently only -- app to be listed with a name comprising a single character.

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Elon Musk kills Twitter with huge X rebrand and relaunch

Twitter X logo projected onto building

In typically swift and spontaneous fashion, Elon Musk has effectively killed off Twitter after promising over the weekend to ditch the bird logo. The new X logo is in the process of rolling out, and X Corp CEO Linda Yaccarino says that "X will be the platform that can deliver, well….everything".

At the moment it is not clear whether the name X will be used to completely replace the Twitter moniker, but this is certainly what has been suggested. The logo that has been chosen is the same one that Musk hinted at on Sunday, and he tweeted a photo of the company headquarters with a large X projected onto the side.

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Twitter could be about to undergo a huge rebrand as Elon Musk signals a desire to drop the bird logo

Twitter X rebrand

Since Elon Musk's arrival at Twitter, it has been difficult to keep track of the fast-paced changes. The latest signals from the billionaire owner indicate that even more dramatic changes are afoot -- including ditching the Twitter brand and all bird-related imagery.

In a series of tweets, Musk said "soon we shall bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds". Indicating that the change could happen very quickly indeed, he added: "If a good enough X logo is posted tonight, we’ll make go live worldwide tomorrow".

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Why you might not want to sign up for Threads

reluctance dislike

Mark Zuckerberg claims that some 30 million people have signed up for Meta's Threads app since its launch on Thursday.

You might be tempted to think, “He would say that,” but in the rush to join the new Twitter alternative are people overlooking the security and privacy implications of the app? Quite a few experts think so.

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How to add and manage multiple accounts in Threads, Meta's new Twitter rival

Threads, Meta's Twitter alternative, is now live and already proving incredibly popular. It's very much a work in progress, with lots of features missing, but the developers are working hard at bringing these to the app.

One question I've seen asked quite a few times is how to add a second account to Threads, and it's definitely not as obvious as it could be. The process is easy enough though, just follow these steps.

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As Twitter flounders, rivals Mastodon and Bluesky flourish, and Meta launches Threads on Thursday

Threads by Instagram

The rocky journey for Twitter continues under Elon Musk, with this weekend seeing bizarre constraints introduced in an attempt to reduce unspecified "data scraping". Users of the service found themselves hit with rate limit warnings as Twitter placed restrictions on the number of tweets that can be viewed each day.

Rival Mastodon has already seen a steady influx of Twitter escapees, and this continued over the weekend with a 300,000 jump in the number of active users; Bluesky is also faring well, to the point that sign-ups have been paused to allow for tweaks and fixes to be implemented to accommodate the levels of interest. But now eyes are turning towards Meta, as the Facebook owner prepares for the launch this Thursday of its own Twitter alternative, Threads by Instagram.

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Twitter loses its second head of trust and safety since Musk take-over

Twitter logo and Elon Musk account

Content moderation on Twitter has been something of a prickly subject during Elon Musk's time as CEO. Having already lost Yoel Roth back in November, his replacement has now also resigned.

Ella Irwin is leaving the role after just six months as head of the trust and safety team. While Roth has been openly critical of Twitter since his resignation last year, the reasons behind Irwin's departure are not yet clear.

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Twitter's new CEO unveiled

Twitter logo and a woman in silhouette

In the past six months, Twitter has experienced considerable upheaval since Elon Musk assumed control. Thousands of employees have been let go, account authentication has been drastically altered, and idle accounts now face deactivation.

Yesterday, Musk revealed that he had found a new leader for the company, but didn't name his hire, disclosing only that it was a woman.

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