Twitter has made a move that could appeal to some and annoy others.
The social network turned off ads for certain VIP users, Re/code reports, citing people who claim to have knowledge of the move. In some cases, VIP users see ads here and there, but in most cases, they see nothing.
According to Re/code’s sources, the feature has been live for a couple months. There do not appear to be any hard and fast rules regarding who get ad-free Twitter, but the number of followers and reach appears to be the main factors.
Twitter Wants to Keep Celebrities Active
The idea, according to the report, is to keep celebrities and other active users heavily engaged in Twitter as the company tries to keep pace with rival social networks, like Facebook and Instagram, which have a faster growth trajectory. Indeed, Twitter’s growth issues have proven to be among the biggest problems facing investors over the last couple of years.
Still, the idea of not show ads could also be just as troublesome to investors. Ads, after all, are central to how Twitter generates revenue.
That said, Re/code says Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey firmly believes it will keep celebrities engaged with the service, thereby helping the company attract more users. Losing ad revenue on a few users, in other words, is worth it if more users can be added over time.
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