Social media's new pay-for-play rules

Users who once believed they were contributing their time and creativity are now being asked to pay up by cash-hungry platforms. Elon Musk tweeted that beginning April 15, 2023, only tweets by verified users will show up in Twitter's default main feed of "For You" recommendations. Verification, formerly a service Twitter offered public figures, is now available only to $8-a-month subscribers. The new strategy "is the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over." Musk has tried to shift more of Twitter's business towards charging for subscriptions amid advertising pullback. Other social networks have made changes to their feeds to prioritize paid traffic over organic posts, but Musk's moves are more drastic.