Twitter users who are envious of the blue checkmark on their account may soon have to pay to maintain that status.
According to Platformer’s Casey Newton, Twitter administrators are “seriously considering” requiring anyone with a free checkmark on their profile to pay $5 each month for a Twitter Blue subscription or lose their badge. According to Newton’s sources, executives spent the weekend talking about the idea and making plans about the measure.
But a report from The Verge claims that special status could cost more than that. This news states that Twitter plans to charge $19.99 for a new Twitter Blue subscription, and users will lose their blue checkmarks if they don’t pay. According to the report, users will be given 90 days to subscribe before they lose their blue tick. It appears that employees working on the project have been given until November 7 to implement the changes.
The blue tick is seen by some as a status symbol. Accounts must be “notable, authentic and active” to receive this tick. Government officials on this list; people representing leading brands; news organizations and journalists; activists; celebrities; athletes and many other prominent people.
In addition, these signs are quite rare. In 2021, only 360,000 accounts, or 0.2% of Twitter’s daily monetizable active users, had this badge. Still, such a change could provide a new revenue stream at a time when Elon Musk is said to be preparing for layoffs at his new company.
What is Twitter Blue?
Twitter Blue offers many different exclusive benefits, including allowing users to undo a tweet, read news ad-free, edit a posted tweet, organize your bookmarks into folders, pin conversations in your DMs, upload videos of up to 10 minutes a subscription service. The service was priced at $3 when it launched in 2021, but in October the monthly fee was increased to $5.
However, it is not entirely clear in these initial reports whether all Twitter Blue subscriptions will be given the blue badge. If this badge is awarded to all Blue members, it can increase interest in the service. Or it may lower the special status of the service by having the opposite effect.
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