Changes are coming fast for Twitter. The social media platform will charge $8 per month month for its Blue service, which will include a “verified” badge, Elon Musk said on Tuesday.
“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,” Musk said in a tweet, adding that the price will be adjusted by “country proportionate to purchasing power parity.”
The move comes as the billionaire seeks to boost subscriptions and make the social media network less reliant on ads.
A blue check mark next to a person’s user name will mean that Twitter has confirmed that the account belongs to the person or company claiming it, clearing the path for people like Musk who think there is a larger number of bots or fake accounts in the social media.
Musk said subscribers with blue check marks would get priority in replies, mentions and search and would be able to post longer videos and audios. They would see half as many ads.
Since buying Twitter for $44 billion last week, Musk fired its previous CEO and other top officials.
Twitter’s advertising chief, Sarah Personette, tweeted on Tuesday that she had resigned her post last week, adding further uncertainty for advertisers.
According to Reuters, more than 80% of Twitter users who participated in a poll this week said they would not pay for the verified badge. Some 10% said they were willing to pay $5 a month.
The company already has a subscription service called Twitter Blue that offers features, such as an option to edit tweets.
