Tag: vip
Twitter’s secret VIP list is the reason you see Elon Musk’s tweets so often
We now know why Twitter’s algorithm seems to recommend some users’ tweets so often. Newsletter Platformer reports that the company has a secret VIP list of a few dozen accounts “it monitors and offers increased visibility” in its recommendation algorithm. The accounts include Elon Musk, as well as a handful of other prominent Twitter users.
The revelation comes as Musk has repeatedlypromised to make Twitter’s recommendation algorithms open source. He also recently stated that soon only paid subscribers to Twitter Blue would be eligible to have their tweets displayed in the algorithmic “For You” feed. It’s not clear if that change would also affect the VIP list of users who regularly get a boost in the feed. Some of the accounts on the list, like President Joe Biden and YouTuber Mr Beast, are currently verified but don’t pay for Twitter Blue. Twitter no longer has a communications team to respond to questions.
According to Platformer, the VIP list was “originally created to monitor the engagement received by Twitter power users” as the company has tried to allay suspicions that its “shadowbans” certain users to reduce their visibility on the platform. “Our ‘algorithm’ is overly complex & not fully understood internally,” Musk recently tweeted.
But the list, which reportedly is only 35 accounts in addition to Musk, is also telling about who Musk believes should benefit from Twitter’s algorithm. Platformer didn’t publish the entire list, which includes LeBron James, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, venture capitalist Marc Andreesen, Tesla fan account @teslaownerssv and conservative personality Ben Shapiro. It also includes @catturd2, an account recently described by Rolling Stone as the “Sh-tposting King of MAGA Twitter.”
It’s also not the first time that a report has surfaced about how Musk has tweaked Twitter’s algorithm to boost his own tweets. Last month, Musk said the company was fixing an issue that caused users’ For You feeds to be overwhelmed with dozens of Musk tweets. Platformer later reported that Twitter employees had changed its algorithm to favor Musk after the CEO was mad that his Super Bowl tweet didn’t receive as much engagement as Biden’s. Musk reportedly fired an engineer who suggested the lack of engagement was due to declining interest in his tweets.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/twitters-secret-vip-list-is-the-reason-you-see-elon-musks-tweets-so-often-181735784.html?src=rss
Ant veteran turns to NFT verification for SXSW festival VIP feast
As funding into web3 projects cools down during the crypto winter, startups in the space are increasingly focused on building bridges for mass adoption and exploring revenue opportunities to stay afloat. The key to driving mass adoption? Offer experiences that are so seamless that users don’t realize blockchain is involved. One company that is demonstrating […]
Ant veteran turns to NFT verification for SXSW festival VIP feast by Rita Liao originally published on TechCrunch
Meta agrees to change VIP ‘cross-check’ program but won’t disclose who is in it
Meta has responded to the dozens of recommendations from the Oversight Board regarding its controversial cross-check program, which shields high-profile users from the company’s automated content moderation systems. In its response, Meta agreed to adopt many of the board’s suggestions, but declined to implement changes that would have increased transparency around who is in the program.
Meta’s response comes after the board had criticized the program for prioritizing “business concerns” over human rights. While the company had characterized the program as a “second layer of review” to help it avoid mistakes, the Oversight Board noted that cross-check cases are often so backlogged that harmful content is left up far longer than it otherwise would be.
In total, Meta agreed to adopt 26 of the 32 recommendations at least partially. These include changes around how cross-check cases are handled internally at the company, as well as promises to disclose more information to the Oversight Board about the program. The company also pledged to reduce the backlog of cases.
But, notably, Meta declined to take the Oversight Board up on its recommendation that it publicly disclose politicians, state actors, businesses and other public figures who benefit from the protections of cross-check. The company said publicly disclosing details about the program “could lead to myriad unintended consequences making it both unfeasible and unsustainable” and said that it would open cross-check to being “game(d)” by bad actors.
Likewise, the company declined, or didn’t commit, to recommendations that may alert people that they are subject to cross-check. Meta declined a recommendation that it require users who are part of cross-check make “an additional, explicit, commitment” to follow the company’s rules. And Meta said it was “assessing the feasibility” of a recommendation that it allow people to opt out of cross-check (which would also, naturally, notify them that they are part of the program). “We will collaborate with our Human Rights and Civil Rights teams to assess options to address this issue, in an effort to enhance user autonomy regarding cross-check,” the company wrote.
While Meta’s response shows that the company is willing to make changes to one of its most controversial programs, it also underscores the company’s reluctance to make key details about cross-check public. That also aligns with the Oversight Board’s previous criticism, which last year accused the company of not being “fully forthcoming” about cross-check.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-agrees-to-change-vip-cross-check-program-but-wont-disclose-who-is-in-it-181140075.html?src=rss
Adele fans ‘sickened’ by £4 million price tag of extreme VIP Vegas residency tickets
Meta’s Oversight Board comes out swinging against Facebook’s VIP ‘cross-check’ program
The Oversight Board, an independent body set up to review Facebook and Instagram content decisions and policies, slammed the company on Tuesday over its cross-check program. In its statement, the Oversight Board laid out a number of changes Facebook’s parent company Meta should make regarding content moderation across its social media platforms.
Cross-check is an internal Facebook program that was portrayed as a “quality control” measure — a way to double check a content decision for potential moderation when it came to high-profile Facebook users. As Facebook reviews millions of pieces of content a day, the company is bound to make mistakes. The cross-check system was put in place to help limit faulty content takedowns from users deemed a priority to the company.
However, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal, the program basically set up a two tier moderation system for high-profile Facebook users and everyone else.
Facebook reminds employees: You can’t fact check Trump now that he’s running for president
Basically, thanks to cross-check, celebrities, politicians, and other influencers were able to routinely break Facebook and Instagram’s rules without facing penalties like the ones doled out to every other user. As many as 5.8 million accounts made the cross-check white list at one point. These names included former president Donald Trump and Mark Zuckerberg himself.
The Board came out hard in a statement, accusing Meta of not being truthful to them about the cross-check program initially.
“In our review, we found several shortcomings in Meta’s cross-check program,” writes the Oversight Board. “While Meta told the Board that cross-check aims to advance Meta’s human rights commitments, we found that the program appears more directly structured to satisfy business concerns.”
While the Board said that it understands that Meta is a business, it failed to uphold its own content policies, failed to track data on the program’s results, and failed to be transparent about the program.
The cross-check program first came to light when Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen shared internal documents regarding real-world harm stemming from the social media platform. Haugen briefed the Oversight Board on cross-check, among other issues revealed in the documents.
The Oversight Board suggested a number of changes to the program, mostly surrounding transparency. For example, the Oversight Board said that Meta should mark the accounts of users that are part of the cross-check program. The Board suggested that this would “allow the public to hold privileged users accountable for whether protected entities are upholding their commitment to follow the rules.”
In addition, the Oversight Board recommended that Facebook still take down certain “high severity” content, regardless of a user being part of cross-check. If a user whitelisted by cross-check continuously breaks the rules, the Oversight Board suggests that Meta remove their account from the program.
While Meta acts on the Oversight Board’s rulings on specific content moderation decisions, such as the reinstatement of a specific post from a user, the Board’s policy change recommendations are just that: recommendations. Meta is not bound to listen to the Oversight Board’s suggested changes to the cross-check program.
Meta’s oversight board calls for changes around VIP content moderation
The oversight board said the controversial ‘cross-check’ system has led to an unequal treatment of users on Facebook and Instagram, while allowing potentially harmful content to stay online for longer.
Read more: Meta’s oversight board calls for changes around VIP content moderation
Bella and Mohamed Hadid attends VIP fashion awards show in Qatar despite human rights controversy
Apex Legends Mobile: All Hyperbeat Store And VIP Store Rewards
A VIP Pass will grant you access to the VIP Store, which contains even more season-exclusive cosmetics and loot.
Apex Legends Mobile Season 2.5: Hyperbeat launched last week, bringing with it a new battle pass that’s stuffed to the gills with unique cosmetic items. But some players are unaware that a new collection of season-exclusive cosmetics also launched alongside the new battle pass. Unlike the battle pass, however, these items can be unlocked without having to spend any real world cash.
The Hyperbeat Seasonal Store and the VIP Store contain a total of 28 cosmetic items and other rewards, all of which can be unlocked via Hyperbeat Coins, a seasonal currency that is earned by playing matches, participating in events, and even taking user surveys. The standard Hyperbeat Store is accessible to anyone (no battle pass necessary), and can be accessed by selecting the purple “Seasonal Event” banner on the right side of the main lobby screen, which will take you to the Hyperbeat Hub. From there, select “Hyperbeat Store” from the vertical list on the right side of the screen.
Once you’ve located the store, you can get a closer look at its cosmetics. The following items are available in the Hyperbeat Store:
- Critical Error Crypto banner frame (Legendary): 7,000 HC
- Snow Crystal Lifeline legend skin (Epic): 10,000 HC
- The Abyss Hemlock weapon skin (Epic): 9,000 HC
- Checkmate Havoc weapon skin (Epic): 9,000 HC
- Fully Encrypted user avatar frame (Epic): 3,000 HC
- Matches Played Crypto stat tracker (Epic): 2,000 HC
- Remote Scan Crypto holospray (Epic): 3,000 HC
- Counter-culture Bangalore legend skin (Rare): 5,000 HC
- Street Sleuth Crypto legend skin (Rare): 5,000 HC
- Lava Light Spitfire weapon skin (Rare): 4,000 HC
- Sidekick Drone weapon charm (Rare): 1,000 HC
- Data Knife weapon charm (Rare) 1,000 HC
- Keyed-up Crypto banner pose (Rare): 2,000 HC
- Lilac Glow user avatar frame (Rare): 2,000 HC
- Stim Up Octane banner frame (Rare): 2,000 HC
- Drop the Beat Octane banner pose (Rare): 2,000 HC
- VIP Pass: 3,000 HC
- Badge ‘Em Up Octane legend skin (Common): 3,000 HC
- Syndicate Pack (Common): 2,000 HC*
*Players can purchase a total of 4 Syndicate Packs for 2,000 HC each.
To obtain all items in the Hyperbeat Store (including all 4 Syndicate Packs and the VIP), you’ll need a total of 81,000 Hyperbeat Coins. But these cosmetics aren’t all the Hyperbeat Store has to offer–purchasing the VIP Pass will grant you access to the VIP Store. The VIP Store can be located by selecting the purple “Season Event” banner on the upper right side of the main lobby screen, then selecting “VIP Store” from the vertical list on the right side of the Hyperbeat Hub.
Once there, you can use Hyperbeat Coins to purchase six additional season-exclusive cosmetic items. The items in the VIP Section of the Hyperbeat Store are as follows:
- Crystal Claws Loba legend skin (Epic): 10,000 HC
- Mortar Ward Gibraltar legend skin (Epic): 10,000 HC
- Digital Construct Crypto legend skin (Rare): 5,000 HC
- Cryptic Defect Crypto holospray (Rare): 2,000 HC
- VIP Pass weapon charm (Rare): 2,000 HC
- Neon Insignia Crypto banner frame (Rare): 2,000 HC
You’ll need an additional 31,000 Hyperbeat Coins to unlock all six items in the VIP Store, which brings the total amount of Hyperbeat Coins required to unlock every cosmetic in both sections of the Hyperbeat Store to 112,000 Hyperbeat Coins. Obviously, this number will increase if additional cosmetics are added to the store as the season progresses.
Accumulating 112,000 Hyperbeat Coins is no small task, but it’s not nearly as difficult as it sounds. Hyperbeat Coins can be earned in many ways, from opening Supply Bins during matches to completing Pro Mode challenges and event challenges. As long as you play regularly and participate in a few events, you should have no trouble accumulating enough HC to unlock any Hyperbeat Store cosmetics that may have caught your eye.
There are quite a few active and upcoming events planned for this half of Apex Legends Mobile Season 2, so take a look at our Hyperbeat event overview for a full list of all the events taking place this season, along with links to individual guides that will help you rack up as many Hyperbeat Coins as possible before this half of the season comes to an end. Check out the gallery below for a closer look at each of the rewards available in the Hyperbeat Store and VIP Store.
Apex Legends Mobile is available for download on Android and iOS devices.