Operation Bluebird launches Twitter.now (AI-edited image)
A judge’s comments gave the startup confidence to launch
When Elon Musk acquired Twitter in 2022, he eventually renamed the platform X and replaced the familiar blue bird branding. A Virginia-based startup called Operation Bluebird has launched a new social media platform, Twitter.now, claiming that the Twitter name and some of its well-known intellectual property were abandoned after Elon Musk renamed Twitter to X. Trademark attorney Josh Gerben told Ars Technica that Operation Bluebird may have a workable legal argument, but said the case was far from straightforward and that X could respond strongly now that the platform has launched.
Operation Bluebird says its platform is not connected to X and is building a different kind of online public square, with automated fact-checking and more control for users over what they see. The startup’s co-founder Stephen Coates, who previously served as general counsel at Twitter before Musk’s takeover, said the company had waited for months before launching but did not want to delay further. Operation Bluebird’s legal argument is that X Corporation abandoned its rights to trademarks linked to Twitter, including the word “Twitter,” “tweet” and the bird logo. During an April 2026 hearing, US District Court Judge Colm Connolly gave a tentative ruling suggesting that X appeared to have given up its intellectual property claims over the word “tweet” and the Twitter bird logo. The judge also raised the possibility that rights to the word “Twitter” may have been abandoned.
The name Twitter has returned to the internet. The launch comes despite an ongoing legal fight with X Corporation, which has challenged the startup’s attempt to use the old Twitter identity. Operation Bluebird believes that decision created an opportunity to reclaim the Twitter name. The legal dispute is still ongoing, and a final decision has not been issued. Legal dispute between Elon Musk’s X and Operation Bluebird continues. However, the judge has not yet issued a written order. The move could now intensify the legal battle. When X Corp. retired the Twitter brand, we saw an opportunity to build something new: a public square organized around trust, transparency, and user choice.
X Corporation, however, sued Operation Bluebird last year and sought to stop the new platform from launching. In a LinkedIn post, Coates wrote: “Today, Operation Bluebird launched Twitter.now.
Founding members can help us build and test the platform, get first shot at the handle of their choice, and claim their place in its history—including Founder number #00001. Twitter.now is not an attempt to recreate the old platform. We are building a different service, with trust signals that provide context for what users see and tools that allow people—not an opaque algorithm—to decide how much credibility and noise reach their feeds. Our governing principle is simple: freedom of speech, not freedom of reach. Twitter is a reclaimed brand. We are not X and are not affiliated with X Corp. Early access is now open. The public square is open again, and definitely not affiliated with X in any way. Whatsoever. Get over your X. The bird is back. Get the latest technology news and updates. Download the TOI App.