Currently, Scroll has gone into private beta mode for its integration into Twitter’s future subscription service
Twitter acquires Scroll as part of its future subscription service (Credit: Solen Feyissa/Wikimedia Commons)
Twitter has acquired news technology company Scroll for an undisclosed price as part of its efforts to build a future subscription service on its platform.
Launched in 2020, Scroll is a subscription service that turns off ads, pop-ups, and other distractions on the web pages of its partner sites to enhance the reading experience of its users.
Currently, the service in private beta due to the acquisition by the social media firm.
Scroll claims that its system will be clean without any clickbait links at the bottom of the content. Furthermore, its platform will be private with no shadowy trackers that sell users’ data.
Twitter product VP Mike Park in a company blog wrote: “This is an exciting opportunity for us to introduce this proven model to publishers on our service and make reading the news better for everyone involved.
“Looking ahead, Scroll will become a meaningful addition to our subscriptions work as we build and shape a future subscription service on Twitter.”
Scroll distributes users’ membership to news websites they visit, based on the share of their engagement. The participating sites are said to earn more money with its system than the traditional way of displaying ads, while presenting a faster, better experience.
Its technology integrates directly into sites instead of depending on a browser extension. When a Scroll user visits a partner site, ads and trackers are disabled from loading.
Publishers get paid for the time spent by users on reading the content. Apart from that, sites also stand to earn additional bonus if users read them a lot.
Scroll is also said to have developed an affiliate programme using which newsletters, curators, and apps can get rewards for sending great articles to users.
The company will temporarily stop taking in new sign-ups from users. However, new publishers can continue to sign up to become a member of the service.
Twitter will include Scroll’s product into its subscription plans and prepare to expand the latter’s publisher network.
Scroll, in a blog post, wrote: “The future we want to build cannot be built alone. If you are a publisher, independent journalist or creator who wants to learn more or collaborate to help us shape a future for journalism that is brighter than its past, reach out and let’s build the kind of world we want to see together.”
Twitter’s addition of the news technology company into its portfolio follows its acquisition of Revue in January 2021. Revue is an editorial newsletter tool for writers and publishers.