The much-hyped subscription for Twitter verification is finally here. CEO Elon Musk has announced that users can get verified blue tick accounts by paying $8 per month.
With Musk’s first major revision, Twitter updated its app in iOS and declared that starting Saturday it will add great new features to Twitter Blue.
“Get Twitter Blue if you sign up now,” the announcement said. “Blue checkmark: Power to the people. Your account will get a blue checkmark, just like the celebrities, companies, and politicians you follow.”
As per Twitter, the Blue tick mark comes with fewer ads, the ability to post longer videos, and verification.
Regarding the advertisements on the platform, Twitter mentioned on its app, “Coming soon… Half the ads & much better ones,” the statement added. “Since you’re supporting Twitter in the battle against the bots, we’ll reward you with half the ads and make them twice as relevant.”
Twitter also mentioned on the app that there will be a “priority ranking for quality content.”
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According to the company, Twitter Blue with verification is available on iOS in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the U.K.
Post announcement, Musk went on Twitter and announced that it would soon introduce long-form text to tweets.
Earlier on Friday, Twitter laid off thousands of employees in departments across the company. The layoffs would ultimately affect about 3,700 people. Twitter employees from departments including marketing and communication, AI, search, public policy, wellness, and other teams tweeted about having been let go.
Musk justified his move and said there was no choice when the company lost millions of dollars daily. He also said that everyone who exited was offered enough severance.
Musk is aiming to reduce the company’s costs, not only is it facing a high burn rate, but also he needs to repay the $13 billion in debt he raised to swing the takeover.
Last week, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said in a tweet that Musk is trying to sell people on the idea that free speech is an $8 subscription plan, to which Musk responded that her tweet was appreciated and that she should now pay $8.
Twitter posted a net loss of $270 million in the second quarter that ended June 30, 2022, compared to a profit of $66 million in the same period last year.
Musk purchased Twitter for $44 billion and is under pressure to cut costs after making a deal in which he overpaid, according to some analysts.
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