Twitter is back on social media in a new form. Virginia-based startup Operation Bluebird launched Twitter.now, a platform that aims to revive the Twitter brand and recreate its real-time public conversation model.
The launch comes as the startup remains locked in a legal battle with Elon Musk’s X Corp. Operation Bluebird claims, “X abandoned key Twitter trademarks after Musk acquired Twitter in 2022 and rebranded the platform as X. X Corp disputes that position and maintains its rights to the Twitter brand.”
Operation Bluebird says, “Twitter.now is an independent social network and has no affiliation with X Corp. The startup describes the service as a new digital public square built around trust, transparency, user control and open conversation.”
Some features that will still exist on the platform include replying to and retweeting posts. The company explained that its aim is not to recreate what Twitter used to be but to provide users with more control of the feeds by minimizing bots' influence.
One of Twitter.now’s key features is Vera, an automated fact-checking system designed to analyse posts in real time. According to Ars Technica, “Vera uses Google’s Gemini technology to assess the veracity of information posted on the platform. Operation Bluebird says the feature is part of its effort to build a social network where users can make better-informed decisions about the content they encounter.”
Twitter.now remains in its early stages, with its initial user base still numbering only in the hundreds. The company is nevertheless moving ahead despite the unresolved litigation.
For Operation Bluebird, the launch represents more than another social media platform. It is an attempt to reclaim one of technology’s most recognizable brands while offering a different approach to online conversation.
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