After it was reported that the Twitter verification checkmark would cost $20 per month included in the Twitter Blue subscription, several prominent verified account holders expressed their disapproval like the renowned American fiction author, Stephen King.
In reply to King’s remark, the company’s new owner and CEO Elon Musk said that it needs to make money to pay bills and asked if $8 per month to keep verified status was a better price. Later, Musk officially announced that the Twitter Blue subscription will cost $8 per month.
We need to pay the bills somehow! Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers. How about $8?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 1, 2022
[Update: The new $8 per month Twitter Blue plan is now available with the additional ‘verification checkmark’ feature for all subscribers.]
Twitter Blue was launched in 2021 as a paid tier on the platform which offered subscribers exclusive features Edit Tweets option, the ability to change the app’s icon, and more. Before the takeover, the company had increased the subscription price from $2.99 per month to $4.99, a 66% hike. Now, the price is going to further increase by $3 under Musk’s leadership who says that the paywalled verification process will not only create a new revenue source for the company but also help it to defeat bots and trolls.
Twitter Blue’s new $8 monthly subscription fee will go into effect this month
According to The Verge’s report, Musk has instructed the company’s engineers to update the verification process by November 7 or get fired. Therefore, new changes are likely to go into effect this month and the current verified accounts will have 90 days to subscribe to the service or lose their status.
Musk has been clear in the months leading up to his acquisition that he wanted to revamp how Twitter verifies accounts and handles bots. On Sunday, he tweeted: “The whole verification process is being revamped right now.”
Twitter’s current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bullshit.
Power to the people! Blue for $8/month.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 1, 2022
Musk also shared that the de-platformed individuals who violated its rules like former U.S. President Donald Trump will not be immediately allowed back on the app. The company is working on a clear process which is going to take a few weeks.
Twitter’s content moderation council will include representatives with widely divergent views, which will certainly include the civil rights community and groups who face hate-fueled violence.
It is also reported that Musk is working on Vine app’s reboot to compete with TikTok.
