Elon Musk Proposes Quadrupling Twitter Blue Subscription Cost and Paid Verification

Elon Musk, the new “Chief Twit” of Twitter, is reportedly considering making verification a Twitter Blue feature. However, this would come with a catch: users will have to pay a whopping $20 monthly fee to keep their blue tick badge.

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The New Musk Era of Twitter Twitter’s Verification System The $19.99 per month Blue Tick Fee Mixed Reactions to the Proposed Changes Twitter Blue’s Features Elon Musk’s Poll MORE STORIES:

The proposed changes to Twitter Blue have generated controversy and mixed reactions from the platform’s users. Here’s what we know so far:

The New Musk Era of Twitter

Elon Musk recently took over as the new CEO of Twitter and has wasted no time in making significant changes to the platform. His first week on the job has seen swift firings and a spike in slurs, indicating that substantial changes are in the works for the social media giant.

Twitter’s Verification System

The whole verification process is being revamped right now

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 30, 2022

Twitter verification gives eligible accounts a little checkmark badge that authenticates their identity to others. Currently, this only demands the psychic cost of being on the platform. However, Musk’s proposal would lock this previously free feature behind a paywall, which has not won anyone’s goodwill.

Under Twitter’s current policy, the platform grants verified status only to “prominently recognized individuals or brands.” If the proposed changes go through, anyone who fulfils the other two criteria of being active on Twitter and confirming their identity could get verified. This could be useful in fighting disinformation and impersonation.

The $19.99 per month Blue Tick Fee

The proposed changes to Twitter’s verification system would come with a high cost. Twitter Blue currently costs $4.99 per month, but Musk plans to increase the price to a whopping $19.99 per month. That’s the same price as a premium Netflix subscription but with markedly worse content.

Once Twitter’s new policy kicks in, users will have 90 days to subscribe or lose their blue tick. If you are a verified user, you will have to pay $20 monthly or $240 annually to retain your blue tick badge.

Mixed Reactions to the Proposed Changes

Many Twitter users have indicated that they would rather just be unverified than pay the $20 monthly fee. The proposed changes could allow those who aren’t verified to purchase the coveted blue tick badge, which would significantly shift from Twitter’s current policy.

It needs to clarify what will happen to verified users in countries where Twitter Blue is unavailable, i.e., any country that isn’t the US, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand. Furthermore, whether Musk has thought this through entirely needs to be clarified.

Twitter Blue’s Features

Twitter Blue allows users to edit their tweets, upload videos in 1080p, and see what articles are shared most in their network. It also enables accounts to use an NFT as their profile picture, which caters to the interests of those in crypto. Even with the addition of verification, many users feel this is only worth shelling out for.

Elon Musk’s Poll

How much would you pay to be verified & get a blue check mark on Twitter?

— @jason (@Jason) October 31, 2022

Elon Musk recently created a poll for his users, asking how much they are willing to pay for a blue tick: $5, $10, $15, or “wouldn’t pay.” While many users checked the “wouldn’t pay” option, a substantial minority indicated that they would pay.

In conclusion, the proposed changes to Twitter’s verification system and the cost of the Blue subscription service have sparked controversy and mixed reactions among users. The $19.99 monthly fee for a blue tick badge may take much shine off the appeal for verified users, and the new policy will undoubtedly affect the platform’s future dynamics. Only time will tell how this will play out.