Twitter to start charging $20 per month for verification.
Although Mr Musk has announced that a new verification process was underway for verified subscribers, he has not mentioned what the change will be or if it would be cost-related.
Full Text
Following Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter last week, many policies have been speculated to come under review.
In a report released by a technology news outlet, The Verge, on Monday, October 31, 2022, it was announced that there are plans to increase the optional monthly subscription paid by Twitter users to a somewhat higher price, which will include verified users as well.
The monthly $4.99 subscription, known as Twitter Blue, gives subscribers access to published ad-free articles. But it is now being hinted that the package will soon have a new $19.99 price tag. Subscribers have a 90-day ultimatum to subscribe to the package or risk losing the badges.
It has been reported that the employees under Mr Musk, who has now picked the nickname “Chief Twit,” are under pressure to ensure that the new verification process is completed and implemented by November 7, 2022, or risk getting dismissed from the company.
On Monday, October 31, 2022, a Twitter post by The spectator Index (@spectatorindex) hinted that Twitter will charge $20 a month for the verification badge.
Screenshot of the Twitter post by The Spectator Index.
In less than 18 hours, the tweet garnered over 11,000 retweets, over 8,000 quote tweets and over 50,000 likes. While some Twitter users made fun of those already verified, others said they would not pay.
The virality of the claim and the impact it will have on many verified accounts, many of which are journalists, prompted us to look into this claim.
Verification
DUBAWA immediately conducted quick searches on Twitter, trying to reconcile the claim with any open tweet Mr Musk made, but found none.
Although the social media company intends to generate half of its revenue from subscriptions, Mr Musk has not come out to clearly state a new price tag for the subscription.
The Tesla and SpaceX boss, also a free speech advocate, had been critical of some of its policies and regulations before the purchase of Twitter and had openly indicated, upon ownership, that it would no longer be the usual status quo.
After he purchased the App, Mr Musk tweeted, “the bird is freed.”
Screenshot of Elon Musk’s Tweet after purchasing the App.
In his reaction to a Twitter user @johnkrausphotos who had openly made a plea that his account be verified since he uploaded photo contents related to space and rocket launches and had good followership, Mr Musk noted that the verification process is being revamped.
Screenshot of Elon Musk’s response.
This hinted at the possibility of changes by the tech mogul to the verification details for both subscribers and intended, but this does not show it will be cost-related. Mr Musk is yet to mention what these changes are.
Similarly, a quick search about the claim on Google immediately linked the researcher with The Verge’s news report, which seemed to be the origin of this speculation.
The report in an effort to link this to Mr Musk, referenced his rather broad-context tweet that his company will make some changes regarding verification.
Conclusion
Although Mr Musk has announced that a new verification process was underway for verified subscribers, our findings show he has not mentioned what the change will be or if it would be cost-related.
