New Twitter boss Elon Musk has indicated that a verified account on Twitter in the future could cost $8 (R145) a month, despite facing a user backlash over proposals to charge for the feature.
The announcement comes days after the world’s richest man finalised a $44 billion deal with Twitter, making him the new owner.
The new owner of Twitter described the current system for allocating blue check marks- which verify a user as a trustworthy source- as “bullshit” in a Twitter post to his more than 10 million followers on Tuesday.
“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 a month,” he wrote, suggesting that a tick could be given to accounts that subscribe to the platform’s premium service.
Under the new plan, paid subscribers would receive Twitter’s famous blue checkmark that signals a verified account.
He said Twitter Blue subscribers would also receive “priority placement” in “replies, mentions and search,” which he called essential to defeat spam/scam.”
They would also have the ability to bypass paywalls for “publishers willing to work with us,” he said on Twitter.
Musk said Twitter would use the revenue stream to reward content creators.
Currently, verified users don’t pay anything for their badges- Twitter applies them manually to high-profile users and public figures, so that users know the messages are coming from a legitimate source.
Prior press reports have indicated that those who don’t pay will lose their check marks, but Musk didn’t say either way.
Twitter Blue existed before Musk took over, separately from the company’s verification system.
It currently costs $4.99per month, and allows people to edit their tweets, organise tweets with bookmark folders, and change Twitter’s display and design, including the app icon.
Source: Eyewitness News, My Broadband, The Guardian, image from Twitter: @AJEnglish