Related Articles
Elon Musk has been busy since he took the reins at Twitter on Oct. 27. Just before it was official, he brought a sink to HQ, then he fired some top executives, and made plans to layoff more staff. He also tweeted his changes to Twitter Blue, including the addition of verification for any and all users who pay.
In a series of tweets on Tuesday, Nov. 1, the new Twitter owner announced his decision to make Twitter Blue $8 a month, giving app users willing to pay the subscription the ability to get a blue checkmark, and receive other prioritization perks.
“Twitter’s current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bullshit. Power to the people!” Musk tweeted. “Price adjusted by country proportionate to purchasing power parity.”
Along with the ability to receive verification, Twitter Blue will allow users who pay the price a priority in replies, mentions, and searches, the ability to post long videos, and half as many ads, Musk said.
“This will also give Twitter a revenue stream to reward content creators,” he added. “There will be a secondary tag below the name for someone who is a public figure, which is already the case for politicians.”
Currently, accounts for the likes of President Joe Biden have a small tag under their username that reads “United States government official.” Musk’s tweet suggests other public figures will see similar tags. A similar function exists on Instagram, where users who connect their accounts to a business or are verified can list the purpose of their account or their occupation.
The Verge had previously reported that Musk has given a directive to make Twitter Blue — the $4.99 monthly subscription offering that provides additional features in the platform — $20. And that people with verified badges would have to pay said amount within 90 days to keep their blue checkmark.
At the time, a rep for Twitter said the company did not have anything to share at press time in response to Rolling Stone’s request for confirmation and comment.
“The whole verification process is being revamped right now,” Musk had tweeted on Sunday.
The self-described “Twitter Complaint Hotline Operator,” per his Twitter bio, appears to be enjoying the negative attention his newly acquired position is bringing. (He changed his bio from “Chief Twit.”)
When Jimmy Kimmel called him a “fully-formed piece of shit” after Musk pushed a conspiracy theory aboutthe assault on Paul Pelosi, Musk simply responded with a sad emoji. And around when news broke over the weekend that more layoffs would soon ensue under his reign, he discussed the virtue of carbs.
This story was updated on Nov. 1 at 3:55 p.m. to include Musk’s official plans for Twitter Blue.
