As part of a strategy by its new owner Elon Musk to combat bogus accounts and extract income from the firm he paid $44 billion for, Twitter Inc. plans to start selling blue verification badges for user profiles as early as next week.
According to those familiar with the plans, the badges will be a part of a $8 monthly membership that might launch as soon as Monday. According to one of the persons, who asked to remain anonymous because they were discussing private plans, users who already have a blue verification badge will have a number of months of grace before they are forced to pay for the badge or risk losing it.
The business also intends to open up access to its editing feature. According to one of the persons, the edit tool, which is presently only accessible to so-called Twitter Blue users who pay $4.99 per month, would be made available to all other users without charge. The individual indicated the modification might be put into effect as soon as this week.
Users are divided over the proposal to charge for verification, with some declaring they will not pay to maintain the white check mark inside a light blue field. People who agree with Musk that the new business model will help screen out “bots” or spam accounts have publicly tweeted their support for it. Since its inception, Twitter has used blue verification badges to identify high-profile users who may be subject to impersonation, including journalists, politicians, and activists. The badge is free to use. The existing arrangement, according to Musk, is one of “lords and peasants,” and those who pay $8 a month will also receive benefits like “half as many advertising” and “priority in answers, mentions, and search.