Newly-instated Twitter owner Elon Musk has revealed that the social media platform may start charging its "Verified" users to keep the blue checkmark next to their names. Musk's ongoing purchase of Twitter has been a major headline since the SpaceX CEO was first reportedly trying to buy Twitter in April. With the deal between Twitter and Musk reaching completion late last week, Musk has already laid out several changes he is planning to make to the site in the future. Now, Verified Twitter users may be looking at a hefty surcharge for their checkmarked status.
Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter has already seen several major changes hit the social media platform in the wake of the move. Several members of Twitter's top brass including CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal, and several others were subsequently fired by Musk following the purchase, looking to clean house in Twitter's ranks. Musk has already agreed with a fan idea to create "PvP elements" on Twitter, where Verified users could openly beef with one another. Among the slew of changes Musk has planned is one that would have a major effect on those Verified users: charging for their checkmarks.
Musk recently revealed his proposed changes to Twitter's verification process, tacking on a $20 per month charge for users to maintain their Verified status. Musk's shift to the verification model would reportedly replace the previous "Twitter Blue" model with users paying to gain the ability to edit tweets as well as the verification status. Current Verified users would have up to 90 days to subscribe to the service or risk losing their Verified status on the site. The payment plan comes as part of an apparent push from Musk to shift the site's income more heavily towards subscriptions.
The changes to Twitter's verification process have already seen significant backlash from many of the site's Verified users. Many of the site's more well-known users have relied on the site's Verified status as a way to stop other users from falsely impersonating creators on the platform. Reports have also revealed that the implementation of Twitter's new premium subscription may be on a tight schedule, with the feature pushed to launch by November 7 on threat of firings.
The recent finalization of Musk's purchase of Twitter comes as the end of a long arc that has stretched throughout much of 2022. The saga between Musk and Twitter has seen everything from Twitter's board attempting to block the deal to Twitter suing Elon Musk for backing out of the deal earlier in the year. Musk's SpaceX even fired several workers from the aerospace manufacturer after an open letter criticizing Musk was circulated within the company. While Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter may be finished, his impact on the social media platform moving forward is just beginning.
Source: IGN