Twitter to start charging over $31 a month for verification under new owner Elon Musk

Elon Musk is copping it over reports Twitter is bringing in a hefty fee for thousands of accounts in the coming weeks.

Twitter plans to start charging nearly $31 a month for users to keep their blue checkmarks as part of a premium service that will be rolled out under Elon Musk’s leadership, according to a report.

“The whole verification process is being revamped right now,” Musk, who took over as the CEO of the social media platform Friday, tweeted Sunday.

The hefty price bump is reportedly one of the revamps, The Verge reported.

The company plans to raise its optional $US4.99-a-month (AU$8) premium subscription called Twitter Blue to $19.99 (AU$31) a month. However, that price is subject to change, the outlet reported, citing internal correspondence and people familiar with the matter.

Twitter will add more features, including verification, to bring its subscription up to par with the cost hike.

The billionaire plans to make verified users fork over the cash to keep their status.

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Twitter plans to start charging nearly $20 a month for users to keep their blue checkmarks as part of a premium service that will be rolled out under Elon Musk’s leadership, according to a report.

Existing verified users have 90 days to subscribe to the new Twitter Blue after its launch or they’ll lose their checkmarks, according to The Verge.

The current Twitter Blue launched about a year ago and offers subscribers a way to view ad-free articles from some publishers as well as additional customization settings.

Musk has been outspoken about his desire to grow subscription numbers to account for half of Twitter’s revenue as well as his eagerness to overhaul the platform’s verification process in the months ahead of his $44 billion (A$68 billion) takeover of the company on Thursday.

However, polls popping up on the website asking people whether they’d be happy forking out more for the same service have clearly given Musk something to think about.

Interesting

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 31, 2022

I will gladly pay $20/month to maintain my Twitter verification, as long as Elon Musk pays me $5,000/month for the content I provide. And no, I don't take crypto.

— Rex Huppke (@RexHuppke) October 31, 2022

I would like to hear from one verified Twitter user who says they'll pay Elon Musk $20/month to keep their blue check. Anybody?

— Brandon Friedman (@BFriedmanDC) October 31, 2022

I'm actually skeptical whether this $20 monthly for your blue check thing will come to pass because it's almost certain to be a colossal failure. There's a reason why literally no social network has ever tried to do anything like it. But let's get down to some specifics.

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) October 31, 2022

Employees working on the Twitter Blue upgrades were informed on Sunday that they need to meet a November 7 deadline or face firing, according to the outlet.

Since acquiring Twitter, Musk has moved swiftly in making cuts to the staff. Starting at the top, he ousted chief executive Parag Agrawal, chief financial officer Ned Sega, the company’s top legal and policy executive Vijaya Gadde and general counsel Sean Edgett.

Twitter will reportedly add more features, including verification, to bring its subscription up to par with the cost hike.

In a tweet on Friday, Musk addressed fevered speculation of mass reinstatements of banned accounts and revealed a decision had not yet been made.

“Twitter will be forming a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints,” he wrote.

“No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes.”

In a message to advertisers on Thursday, Musk insisted the platform “cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences” and that Twitter must be “warm and welcoming to all”.

— with the New York Post

Originally published as Twitter to start charging over $31 a month for verification under new owner Elon Musk