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A new social media platform, Twitter.now, is making waves as it seeks to reclaim the iconic Twitter name. Operated by a Virginia-based startup called Operation Bluebird, the platform is not affiliated with X, the company owned by Elon Musk that acquired Twitter for $44 billion in 2022 and subsequently rebranded it.
Operation Bluebird, founded by former Twitter trademark lawyer Stephen Coates, is challenging X's ownership of the Twitter brand. The startup argues that X abandoned the trademarks for "Twitter" and "Tweet" after the rebranding. According to Ars Technica, X sued Operation Bluebird last year to prevent the launch of Twitter.now, but the startup contends that the trademarks were relinquished.
Twitter.now is designed to be a different service, focusing on trust and transparency. It uses an AI system called VERA to verify posts and provide context, allowing users to control the credibility of the content they see. Coates emphasized in a LinkedIn post that the platform is not a recreation of the old Twitter but a new public square.
The platform is currently in its early access phase, with a $20 fee for users to join. As reported by TechCrunch, Twitter.now offers familiar features like posting and replying but aims to give users more control over their feeds. The platform's launch has sparked discussions about potential trademark infringements, but Operation Bluebird remains optimistic about its legal standing.