The $8 fee introduced by new owner Elon Musk on Twitter Blue is here to stay, and a fee might soon also be introduced on the main platform.
“We’re exploring ways to make the Twitter experience next level—and Twitter Blue is just the beginning, “ notes the description on Twitter about the platform – an indication that you may soon have to pay for that tick and possibly more features on the mainstream platform.
“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/month”, says Musk in a Twitter post this week.
Twitter Blue users subscribe to the platform for $5/m. Musk reckons it’ll soon cost those users $8/m.
Last week, news leaked that Musk wanted to charge $20 for the verification. Suddenly, the $8 doesn’t seem so bad compared to the expected $20. However, we do wonder if it was all meant to desensitise us from the shock.
Read More: Musk wants to charge $20 for Twitter verification
Subscription-based Twitter Blue is the platform’s premium version and it’s also the testing ground for features before they are rolled out to the masses. If they are rolled out to the masses. Twitter Blue gives subscribers additional features including the ability to “Undo Tweet” and customise tweets.
Musk says “you get what you pay for” and the additional money you’ll be paying on the platform will give Twitter a revenue stream to reward content creators.
Musk even compared the monthly $8 subscription fee to one of Starbucks’ $8 drinks that can be consumed in 30 minutes.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 2, 2022
For the additional amount, Musk says you will get:
– Priority in replies, mentions, and searches, which he says is essential for defeating spam/scams
– The ability to post long video and audio
– Half as many ads
– A paywall bypass for publishers willing to work with Twitter
Read More: Twitter confirms that its incoming edit button will have a few rules beyond time limits
Replies to Musk’s thread on the price hike included concerns about the authenticity of the verification if one can simply buy the ability to be verified. Some argued that people in third-world countries may not be able to afford it.
“To all complainers, please continue complaining, but it will cost $8,” says Musk in a tweet.
Musk adds that the platform will have a secondary tag for public figures similar to the one found on politicians’ profiles.
There will be a secondary tag below the name for someone who is a public figure, which is already the case for politicians
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 1, 2022