You’ll Have To Pay Up to Remain Verified on Twitter

A new month and a new Twitter boss. Elon Musk completed buying Twitter late last week and fired the company’s top execs in his takeover. Well, besides spreading misinformation on his first day, the Tesla CEO is bringing radical changes to the social networking site.

He changed the Twitter homepage for logged-out users who now get directed to the Explore page that showcases twitters new stories and trending tweets instead of the usual sign-up page.

The more interesting change is that Elon Musk is revamping the verification process. It’ll now be part of the Twitter Blue premium subscription. The incendiary tech mogul wants you to pay up to remain verified on his platform. He’s also increasing the Twitter Blue subscription from $4.99 to $20 a month.

The whole verification process is being revamped right now
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 30, 2022

Yeah, this means you’ll have to dish out $20 to have that blue checkmark remain next to your username.

Elon told Twitter employees working under the verification team to meet his November 7th deadline to bring these changes or else get fired.

Elon wants to increase the company’s revenue and one of those ways will be by increasing Twitter Blue subscriptions in terms of numbers and subscription charges. To remain verified, you’ll have to subscribe to the platform’s $20 premium subscription.

Elon is giving existing verified users three months(90 days ) to have the blue checkmark next to their handles before losing it if they won’t have subscribed to the new Twitter Blue feature once it goes live.

Here Are The Best Reactions

Twitter’s new owner makes Facebook’s owner look like he has integrity 🙃 https://t.co/w4LwEk8NXh
— Chanda Prescod-Weinstein (@IBJIYONGI) October 30, 2022

Poor Jack was all “Twitter shouldn’t be a company, only you can save it Elon” and Elon’s immediate response is “what if we charge $420.69 for blue checks”
— nilay patel (@reckless) October 31, 2022

https://twitter.com/can/status/1586910547525574656

https://twitter.com/alwaystheself/status/1586895279789412354

2/ $20 a month is not a trivial amount of money. There's a world of difference between $4.99 and $19.99 that isn't captured by the 4x multiple. Lots of people can spend $5 a month and not think about it. Everybody thinks about $20. It goes beyond the precise dollar amount.
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) October 31, 2022

This makes sense if you view verified badges as status symbols and not what they were supposed to be: trust marks to certify identity so people can rely on what they see being said on Twitter. It’s a plan that makes sense if truth/trust on social media doesn’t matter to you. https://t.co/D5aYbiJmAE
— Tiffany C. Li (@tiffanycli) October 30, 2022

a blue check is an identity service to the users. the blue checks create incredible amounts of engagement whether you like them or not. charging for the check is like if youtube stopped its revenue sharing and started charging its top creators instead. pants on head shit
— roon (@tszzl) October 31, 2022

I don’t think Elon Musk realizes how much money he’s going to lose on Twitter at this rate.
— Scott Nover (@ScottNover) October 31, 2022

being verified is already a little embarrassing but being verified in a world where everybody also knows you PAY FOR IT?

only the cringest of losers will abide. https://t.co/6Nj3rcNJXI
— caleb hearon (@calebsaysthings) October 31, 2022

Pricing out my own private mastodon server is going to cost less than renting that blue check.
— David Carroll 🦣 (@profcarroll) October 31, 2022

It's amusing to watch the very caste whose entire status rides on that little checkmark swearing up and down that they'd never be such losers as to pay for it.

You're going to fork out for it (or your employer will). Who are you kidding? You'd pay more than $20 even. LMAO.
— Antonio García Martínez (agm.eth) (@antoniogm) October 31, 2022

Social media subscriptions are like consumer hoverboards or Hulk feature films: a superficially plausible but unworkable idea that surfaces every few years and then quickly subsides.
— Eric Seufert (@eric_seufert) October 31, 2022

Musk: "Let's start charging more than a Spotify subscription for the Twitter feature designed specifically to prevent impersonation."

Russian IRA trolls: pic.twitter.com/7ZI7gW6JUN
— Michael Crider (@MichaelCrider) October 31, 2022

I’m verified across social platforms solely bc I’ve dealt w folks impersonating me for the purpose of trolling/harassment. I don’t see it as anything special or desirable. Unless paid verification comes w some new special features I can’t imagine why anyone would pay for it? https://t.co/t06totJWMa
— Franchesca Ramsey (@chescaleigh) October 31, 2022

I’m really curious if LinkedIn has a response room right now—to the opportunity created by the Musk take over.
— Mikal Lewis (@MikalFM) October 31, 2022

https://twitter.com/EricaJoy/status/1586913471966216192

https://twitter.com/mattgurney/status/1586881155969830912

https://twitter.com/MalwareTechBlog/status/1586887372469194752

https://twitter.com/B52Malmet/status/1586876450896052227

This is either going to be the most amazing turnaround in business history or the most amazing hubris driven train wreck ever. Either way, it's going to be an entertaining ride for Twitter watchers.
— Dare Obasanjo🐀 (@Carnage4Life) October 31, 2022