Twitter began rolling out a controversial new paid subscription system on Saturday that the social network’s unpredictable new owner, Elon Musk, ordered staff to build after taking over last week.
The system was designed to help users to identify authentic and influential users on the platform, including government figures, sports stars, entertainment figures, journalists, brands and organisation.
Updates outlined in the APP Store confirmed that users will be able to purchase Twitter Blue and receive a blue checkmark for $7.99 (R143.05) per month. The updates are listed as available for users in the U.S., Canada, Australia, the UK and New Zealand, according to the description in the Apple online store.
Other features promised to be “coming soon” include half the number of adverts, the ability to post longer videos and priority ranking for content posted on the platform.
Musk appears to be aiming to diversify Twitter’s revenue streams and seeking to drastically reduce costs at the company after completing his $44bn takeover of the platform last week.
The firm began retrenching staff around the world on Friday, with suggestions that as many as half of its more than 7,500 staff could be axed.
Jack Dorsey, who co-founded Twitter in 2006 and stepped down as CEO last year, tweeted to apologise for growing the site too quickly a day after toughly half of the company’s 7,500 employees were fired by Musk.
“I realise many are angry with me. I own the responsibility for why everyone is in this situation: I grew the company size too quickly. I apologise for that,” he wrote.
It comes as Twitter staff who face losing their jobs were given three days to nominate a representative for a formal consultation about their employment.
Source: BBC News, CNBC, Eyewitness News, The Guardian, image from Twitter: @OleShonke