The Twitter name is making an unexpected return as a new social media platform backed by former Twitter executive Stephen Coates opens its doors to early users, setting the stage for a legal and commercial battle with Elon Musk’s X.
Virginia-based startup Operation Bluebird launched Twitter.now this week, offering early access to a service designed around the principles that its founders say were lost after Musk acquired Twitter and transformed it into X.
Coates, who served as Twitter’s general counsel and was a member of its board, announced the launch on LinkedIn with the message, “Get over your X. The bird is back.”
The company says Twitter.now is not intended to simply recreate the original Twitter. Instead, it aims to give users greater control over the material appearing in their feeds. Its stated approach is based on “freedom of speech, not freedom of reach”, with users able to adjust how much trusted and less trusted content they see.
Operation Bluebird’s campaign began in December 2025, when it filed a petition with the US Patent and Trademark Office seeking cancellation of X’s trademarks for “Twitter” and “Tweet”. The startup argued that the marks had been abandoned after Musk removed the Twitter branding and replaced it with X.
The company then applied for its own Twitter trademark and became the target of legal action from X, which sought to prevent the new platform from launching and accused Operation Bluebird of intellectual property violations.
Operation Bluebird later secured a significant legal development when it argued that X had abandoned the Twitter and Tweet trademarks. US District Judge Colm Connolly issued a tentative ruling indicating that X may have abandoned those intellectual property rights, allowing the startup to move forward with its plans.
Users invited to join platform
Twitter.now is currently operating through an early access programme. Users can become “founders” for $20, or about €17, helping test and develop the service while securing usernames before the wider launch.
The company is also asking supporters to pay $40, or about €34, to join what it calls “the fight”, referring to its continuing legal dispute with X.
The startup describes the case as a “David & Goliath” contest between a small team and Musk. X has maintained that millions of people continue to access its service through the former Twitter website address and still commonly refer to posts as tweets.
Trust and content moderation are central to Twitter.now’s proposed identity. The platform plans to let users adjust the balance of trusted and low-trust sources in their feeds, although it has not explained in detail how those trust ratings will be determined.
Its rules are expected to prohibit illegal material, child exploitation, threats, harassment, scams and other harmful activity.
The launch comes as some former Twitter users have sought alternatives to X, citing concerns about moderation, credibility and the direction of the platform under Musk. Operation Bluebird hopes its new service can attract those users while challenging X over ownership of the Twitter name.
