Twitter is now under Elon Musk and appears to be contemplating selling verified accounts to users for the price of $19.99.
The purchase comes with a subscription service and can remove blue checks from accounts.
According to internal Twitter documents, the platform will remove blue check marks if current users don’t pay for the product in 90 days.
Changes
Despite the news, the plan and prices are still subject to change.
Elon Musk, the new platform owner, wants to leave his mark on Twitter.
It remains to be seen whether verified users will have to pay the fee.
For example, international organizations and charities are among the verified accounts on Twitter.
The decision updates Twitter Blue, the platform’s paid feature, which currently costs $4.99.
So far, the authentication feature is available in four countries, including the United States.
Documents indicate that the payment verification feature is available in the four countries for just $ 19.99 per month.
The Verge reported on the pricing plan earlier on Sunday.
Verification
The new Twitter owner Elon Musk tweeted about the verification change days earlier.
“The whole verification process is being revamped right now,” he said.
On Sunday, Musk took part in a poll conducted by Jason Calcanis.
Calcanis a member of his inner circle.
The poll was asking how much people were willing to pay for verification.
The majority of respondents unsurprisingly said they would rather not pay.
Read also: General Motors to stop advertising on Twitter after Musk buys platform
Twitter shakeup
Since buying out Twitter, Musk has moved quickly to shake up the company.
One of his first decisions was to fire Twitter’s senior executives.
After buying the company, Musk conducted polls asking his followers if he should relaunch Vine, Twitter’s former shorthand video service.
Twitter’s new owner also accepted a user’s suggestion to reconsider the platform’s character limits.
Whether Musk will pull through with the mentioned changes remains to be seen.
Early signs
Before finalizing the deal, Elon Musk made early indications of linking verification to a paid subscription service.
Last April, he said paying subscribers to the platform should also get an authentication check.
Musk explained his proposal in another tweet, writing:
“Price should probably be ~$2/month but paid 12 months up front & account doesn’t get checkmark for 60 days (watch for CC chargebacks) & suspended with no refund if used for scam/spam.”
Read also: Elon Musk affirms conspiracy theory with post on Twitter
The blue check mark
While the blue check mark is a status symbol on Twitter, it reassures users that the account is authentic.
It’s beneficial for people who want to differentiate between celebrities, brands, and other influential accounts and posers.
However, if Elon Musk places a paid barrier, it becomes more difficult for users to discern whether an account is a bot.
Months earlier, Musk had said he wanted to rid the platform of spam bots and fake accounts.
Eventually, the same argument became the main reason for his attempts to get out of the deal.
Musk would later reverse his decision and buy the popular social media platform.
Reference:
Want a blue check mark on Twitter? It may soon cost you $19.99 a month
