As Twitter undergoes a significant transformation under its new CEO Elon Musk, a fresh competitor, T2, is seizing the opportunity to establish itself in the social media landscape. T2 is a new platform developed by former Google and Twitter employee Gabor Cselle and other industry veterans, including ex-Discord Senior Director of Engineering Michael Greer, who has joined the team as CTO. The company aims to fill the void left by Twitter’s policy changes and provide a safe space for authentic information and notable personalities.
In response to Elon Musk’s decision to strip legacy verified accounts of their blue badges unless they pay for Twitter Blue, T2 has introduced its own verification program. The platform offers to carry over the “notability” status of former Twitter users who had verified accounts based on their public importance. T2 is currently accepting applications from these users, emphasizing that their efforts to achieve the blue badge will be recognized.
However, T2’s verification process is exclusively for those who were verified on Twitter due to their notability. Those who paid for a Twitter Blue subscription are ineligible for T2 verification, as are those who were not verified on Twitter at all. After meeting the requirements, users need to submit their name, Twitter username, professional inclination, and a T2 handle name, followed by an email address for further communication about the verification process.
The newly built social media platform has brought Michael Greer, former Senior Director of Engineering at Discord, on board as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Greer has worked with Tapp Media and The Onion as CTO. At Discord, Greer was involved in various areas such as revenue, growth, apps, community servers, design systems, and messaging. He will oversee the development team and guide the company’s technical growth at T2.
T2 has recently received a $1.1 million seed round funding in January 2023. The platform’s unique selling point is its co-founding team, with Cselle having sold his previous startups to Google and Twitter, and Sarah Oh, Twitter’s former human rights advisor, bringing her extensive experience to the table. Oh is particularly interested in creating a platform centered around trust and safety, making T2 a compelling alternative to Twitter as the latter navigates a turbulent period under Elon Musk’s leadership.
According to T2’s co-founder, checkmarks should act as a safety feature on the platform, ensuring authenticity and credibility. The company is also putting non-verified Twitter users on a waitlist, to create a space where a blue badge signifies genuine information and notable personalities. At a time of unprecedented changes in Twitter’s policy, T2 hopes to provide a safer alternative.
