What you need to know
- Twitter is reportedly planning to charge users to be verified.
- The blue verification badge may cost $20 per month as part of a Twitter Blue subscription.
- People in charge of the feature are reportedly given until November to launch the new subscription.
Twitter may soon begin charging users a monthly subscription fee for the blue verification badge, and those who are already verified may soon be forced to choose between losing the blue check mark or starting to pay to retain it.
According to Platformer's Casey Newton, Elon Musk is considering ending the free verification process for users, and instead locking it behind the Twitter Blue subscription service, which costs $4.99 per month. However, The Verge reports that Twitter plans to raise the monthly fee to $19.99, which is five times the current price.
Android Central has reached out to Twitter for comment and will update this article once we hear back.
The move is likely part of a revamp of the platform's verification service following Elon Musk's takeover. In response to a tweet from a user who asked about getting assistance with his verification status, Musk replied that the whole process is being overhauled.
The whole verification process is being revamped right nowOctober 30, 2022
It's likely that we'll see this change go into effect soon, as Musk reportedly ordered engineers to launch the revamped subscription by November 7. People in charge of the feature also risk losing their jobs if they fail to meet the deadline, according to The Verge.
Users who already have the blue check mark may lose their verified status if they do not subscribe to Twitter Blue within 90 days of the new subscription's rollout, according to the report. It is unclear how Musk intends to launch the premium blue tick in regions where Twitter Blue is not available. The service is currently only available in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
If this pans out, it will be one of the sweeping changes Musk implements across the company since becoming its new owner. Shortly after closing the deal, he reportedly fired the top brass, including CEO Parag Agrawal and chief financial officer Ned Segal. More importantly, it will add to Twitter's revenue stream at a time when almost every basic feature a social media platform should offer for free, such as an edit button, is restricted to paid users.
It remains to be seen, however, whether existing verified users are willing to pay up in order to preserve their status. For users who remain unverified, it could present an opportunity for them to finally snag the coveted blue check mark.
