Twitter has activated the new feature Super Follows, allowing people to charge a subscription for exclusive content they post on Twitter. The company also earns a commission on the subscriptions. In addition, Twitter started testing a new 'Safety Mode' that automatically blocks potentially offensive tweets.
Monthly subscriptions for Super Follows are possible at USD 2.99, 4.99 or 9.99. Some of the examples of the first people trying out the system include a skin care specialist offering advice, a comedian with extra stories and jokes, a sports analyst sharing special insights, and an astrologist delivering horoscopes. Super Followers will be flagged with a badge on their content so creators know them.
The launch of the system will be limited to a small group of creators in the US on iOS to start, with a waiting list available for other interested people. To be eligible for the waitlist, users need to have at least 10,000 followers.
Twitter provides the in-app payment service for the accounts and takes a 3 percent commission on revenue up to USD 50,000. Additional revenue is subject to a commission of 20 percent.
Automatically blocking hateful tweets
This includes tweets and messages using potentially harmful language, such as insults or hateful remarks, or sending repetitive and uninvited replies or mentions. Twitter's systems will assess the likelihood of a negative engagement by considering both the Tweet’s content and the relationship between the Tweet author and replier. It takes existing relationships into account, so accounts followed or frequently interacted with will not be auto-blocked.
Authors of tweets found by the technology to be harmful or uninvited will be auto-blocked, so they will be temporarily unable to follow the account, see its Tweets or send it Direct Messages. Users will be able to check the accounts blocked and provide feedback to help refine the system.
