Archive · 29 Aug 2026
Former Twitter Staffer Launches Twitter.now Against Elon Musk’s X
A new company called Operation Bluebird has launched a social-media platform named Twitter.now.
It looks like the old Twitter and uses the bird-themed identity that disappeared after Elon Musk bought Twitter.
Stephen Coates, who once worked at Twitter, helped start the new company.
He says Twitter.now will not simply copy the old service.
Instead, it will give users more information about posts and more control over what reaches their feeds.
The company says speech should be allowed, but that does not mean every post must be widely promoted.
People can pay $20 or $40 for early access packages before the service opens publicly.
The article does not report a response from X to the launch.
Virginia-based startup Operation Bluebird launched Twitter.now, a platform modeled on the former Twitter.
Co-founder Stephen Coates announced the launch on LinkedIn and said it would differ from the old platform.
The service plans to use trust signals and user-controlled feed settings instead of relying entirely on opaque algorithms.
Before public access, the startup is offering $20 Funder and $40 Fighter access packages.
Operation Bluebird has also petitioned to cancel X Corporation’s trademarks for “Twitter” and “tweet.”
- Who
- Operation Bluebird, co-founded by former Twitter employee Stephen Coates, launched Twitter.now.
- What
- A new social-media platform modeled on Twitter was launched, alongside a petition challenging X Corporation’s Twitter-related trademarks.
- When
- The platform launched this week; Coates announced it on Wednesday. The trademark petition was reported in December last year, and Twitter rebranded as X in July 2023.
- Where
- The startup is based in Virginia, and the platform operates online.
- Why
- Operation Bluebird says it wants to offer a different social-media service with trust signals and user control over feed reach, following Twitter’s rebranding as X.
Operation Bluebird’s position
X’s documented changes
Purpose of the new platform
Operation Bluebird’s position
Stephen Coates says Twitter.now is a different service intended to provide trust signals and let users decide how much credibility and noise reaches their feeds.
X’s documented changes
The article describes X’s rebranding and premium blue-tick service but does not report a direct response from X about Twitter.now.
Freedom and visibility
Operation Bluebird’s position
Operation Bluebird’s stated principle is “freedom of speech, not freedom of reach,” separating the ability to post from the extent to which content is promoted.
X’s documented changes
The article says Twitter.now is being presented as an alternative to X, but it does not provide X’s stated position on this principle.
Twitter name and trademarks
Operation Bluebird’s position
Operation Bluebird argues that X Corporation abandoned the Twitter and tweet brands and has asked the US Patent and Trademark Office to cancel the related trademarks.
X’s documented changes
The article reports that X Corporation replaced the Twitter branding with X, but does not state whether the company has responded to or opposed the petition.
- Startup
- Operation Bluebird
- Platform
- Twitter.now
- Co-founder
- Stephen Coates, a former Associate Director of Trademarks at Twitter
- Early-access prices
- Funder access costs $20; Fighter access costs $40
- Stated principle
- “Freedom of speech, not freedom of reach”
- X rebrand
- Twitter’s bird logo was replaced by X and twitter.com switched to x.com in July 2023
- Trademark action
- Operation Bluebird petitioned the US Patent and Trademark Office to cancel trademarks for “Twitter” and “tweet” held by X Corporation