Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and SpaceX and new owner of Twitter has announced a plan to start charging Twitter users $8/month to earn the coveted blue tick that signifies verified accounts.
Musk made the announcement in a tweet on Tuesday, claiming that Twitter's current method of deciding who gets and doesn't get a verified account was unacceptable. "Power to the people! Blue for $8/month," he wrote.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1587499283573530625
Musk was initially proposing $20/month for users to get (or keep) the blue check mark. However, he changed it to $8/month seemingly after replying to a tweet by famed author Stephen King. "$20 a month to keep my blue check? If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron," King wrote on Monday.
To this, Elon Musk replied and said, "We need to pay the bills somehow! Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers. How about $8?"
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1587312517679878144
Since then, Twitter users have expressed a variety of emotions, and some very excellent humor.
https://twitter.com/sivavaid/status/1587382925250727936
https://twitter.com/chillmage/status/1587522464699256833
https://twitter.com/levie/status/1587476764896346113
Many people said they would be happy to leave the app, or forego their blue tick if it meant they had to pay for it.
https://twitter.com/neilhimself/status/1587134240373751814
https://twitter.com/RhonddaBryant/status/1587077259596337157
Some people were concerned about what Elon Musk was trying to signify with this move.
https://twitter.com/ninaturner/status/1587525410207809541
https://twitter.com/JimMFelton/status/1587380223292723206
Whereas other people pointed out that blue ticks aren't just for vanity, they are often to prevent impersonation.
https://twitter.com/Jemima_Khan/status/1587715607646052354
https://twitter.com/icklenellierose/status/1587507248569487362
Musk made the announcement in a tweet on Tuesday, claiming that Twitter's current method of deciding who gets and doesn't get a verified account was unacceptable. "Power to the people! Blue for $8/month," he wrote.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1587499283573530625
Musk was initially proposing $20/month for users to get (or keep) the blue check mark. However, he changed it to $8/month seemingly after replying to a tweet by famed author Stephen King. "$20 a month to keep my blue check? If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron," King wrote on Monday.
To this, Elon Musk replied and said, "We need to pay the bills somehow! Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers. How about $8?"
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1587312517679878144
Since then, Twitter users have expressed a variety of emotions, and some very excellent humor.
https://twitter.com/sivavaid/status/1587382925250727936
https://twitter.com/chillmage/status/1587522464699256833
https://twitter.com/levie/status/1587476764896346113
Many people said they would be happy to leave the app, or forego their blue tick if it meant they had to pay for it.
https://twitter.com/neilhimself/status/1587134240373751814
https://twitter.com/RhonddaBryant/status/1587077259596337157
Some people were concerned about what Elon Musk was trying to signify with this move.
https://twitter.com/ninaturner/status/1587525410207809541
https://twitter.com/JimMFelton/status/1587380223292723206
Whereas other people pointed out that blue ticks aren't just for vanity, they are often to prevent impersonation.
https://twitter.com/Jemima_Khan/status/1587715607646052354
https://twitter.com/icklenellierose/status/1587507248569487362