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Elon Musk calls new Twitter NFT feature ‘annoying’

Andrew Griffin
Friday 21 January 2022 11:33 GMT
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(AFP via Getty Images)

Elon Musk says a new Twitter feature aimed at allowing users to highlight their NFTs is “annoying”.

The company announced the new tool overnight, as a way of allowing users to display their non-fungible tokens in their profile pictures.

It also means that users can connect their crypto wallet to their Twitter account, and will get access to a special hexagonal-shaped profile picture, in comparison with the usual round one.

The tool aims to ensure that people can only show off pictures which they have bought using the new technology. However, it has already run into trouble, with users complaining that ownership is not verified, meaning anyone can use the new tool – even with images they have not officially bought.

The update has already drawn mockery from those who are doubtful about the ongoing NFT trend. And that includes Elon Musk.

“This is annoying,” he tweeted, alongside a screengrab of Twitter’s explanation of the feature.

In a follow-up, he explained that he was annoyed at least in part because Twitter continues to be such a home for crypto scammers. There is a vast problem on the site of users who make their accounts look like they belong to celebrities such as Mr Musk, and then use that trick to steal money from others.

“Twitter is spending engineering resources on this bs while crypto scammers are throwing a spambot block party in every thread,” he wrote in a reply.

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