Twitter’s new owner Elon Musk has announced that the platform’s coveted “blue tick” will now cost users $8 (£7) a month, criticizing the current system as a “bull***”.
Musk himself said in a tweet: “Twitter’s current lord and farmer system is a bull*** for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark.
“People Power! Blue is $8 a month.”
Musk said the cost will be “adjusted by country, proportional to purchasing power parity.”
Musk also said that for the new monthly fee, users will get “priority for replies, mentions, and searches,” as well as the ability to post long video and audio clips.
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He added that the fee would provide the platform with “a revenue stream that rewards content creators.”
A blue tick next to a person’s Twitter account lets users know that the public interest account is genuine. Twitter stipulates that to receive the blue badge, your account must be “authentic, compelling and active.” There is a six-step verification process.
Last month, Musk completed his High-profile acquisition of social media platform for $44bn (£38bn), Self-proclaimed terms of reference Make sure everyone’s timeline is the ultimate home for free speech.
The news follows a tweet from Twitter’s head of advertising, Sarah Personette, who has joined a number of executives who have parted ways with the platform.
Ms. Personette, who is chief customer officer, said she had resigned and followed other colleagues out the door, including former CEO Parag Agrawal and CFO Ned Segal, who was fired by Musk last week.