(Mashable) Twitter’s new “Chief Twit” Elon Musk is reportedly considering making verification a Twitter Blue feature, while simultaneously quadrupling the subscription service’s cost. This would essentially mean charging users a monthly $20 fee to keep their blue tick badge.
Predictably, many users have indicated they’d rather just be unverified.
The new Musk Era of Twitter kicked off last week, with swift firings and a spike in slursindicating significant changes for the company. Platformer first reported on Sunday that Twitter may soon require users to have a paid subscription to Twitter Blue in order to retain their verified status. Twitter verification gives eligible accounts a little checkmark badge authenticating their identity to others, and currently only demands the psychic cost of being on the hellsite.
On top of this, The Verge reports that there are also plans to increase the price of a Twitter Blue subscription from its already elevated $4.99 monthly cost to a whopping $19.99 per month. That’s the same price as a premium Netflix subscription, but with markedly worse content.
Twitter’s proposed changes could allow those who aren’t verified to essentially purchase the coveted blue tick badge. Currently, Twitter only grants verified status to notable accounts from a “prominently recognized individual or brand.” If the change goes through, it’s probable that anyone who fulfils the other two criteria of being active on Twitter and confirming their identity will be able to get verified. This could potentially be useful in fighting disinformation and impersonation.
Unfortunately, the $19.99 per month blue tick fee takes a lot of shine off the appeal.
Once the Twitter’s new policy kicks in, users will have 90 days to subscribe or lose their blue tick. It’s currently unclear 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. It’s also unclear whether Musk has actually thought this through.
Twitter Blue currently allows users to edit their tweets, upload videos in 1080p, and see what articles are being shared the most in their network. It also enables accounts to use an NFT as their profile picture, because if you’re paying for Twitter there is a non-zero chance you’re also into crypto. Even with the addition of verification, none of this seems worth shelling out for.
It is annoying that features such as the edit function aren’t simply included in Twitter’s default product, but at least it has always been a paid feature. Musk’s proposal to change Twitter’s verification system would lock a previously free feature behind paywall — a move that has never won anyone goodwill.
Reactions to Musk’s proposed change to Twitter’s verification system have been derisive, to say the least.
Hilarious thing is, I’m a current twitter Blue subscriber, but I’ll need to unsubscribe if they make verification conditional to having a Twitter Blue subscription because paying for a check mark is 100% cringe. @TwitterBlue https://t.co/i3XmiF66TF
— Hank Green (@hankgreen) October 30, 2022
You already get called a checkmark for having a checkmark, and I just filled out a form. If I was paying money for this shit you would have every right to clown me off this website.
— Italian Elon Musk (@xoxogossipgita) October 30, 2022
i already paid for my blue tick (worked in media for multiple years making 38 grand to build multimillion dollar companies)
— BRAD ESPOSITO (@bradesposito) October 30, 2022
