Twitter To Start Charging For Blue Checkmarks, Part Of Platform’s Premium Service

In social media platforms such as Twitter, having marks such as a blue checkmark to back up its authenticity is essential.

But it appears that with the social media platform now under the new management of Tesla mogul Elon Musk, it will come at a cost.

According to reports, Twitter will start charging a monthly fee of $20 for users to continue keeping that blue checkmark which will be part of their premium service.

“The whole verification process is being revamped right now,” Musk tweeted on Sunday, Oct. 30.

It was also added in a report by The Verge that this hefty monthly sum will be just one of the revamps that Twitter will be undergoing.

Aside from the monthly $20 fee for the blue checkmarks, an optional $4.99 monthly fee for a premium subscription called Twitter Blue will allegedly be raised to $19.99 a month. However, this is not yet final and is subject to change.

Beyond this, there are reportedly more features coming out, including verification that would bring its subscription up to par with the cost hike.

Hence, verified users will have 90 days to subscribe to the new Twitter Blue. Once launched, all existing users will lose their checkmarks, the outlet further added.

The Twitter Blue was launched about a year ago, giving subscribers an alternative to view ad-free articles from publishers. This also includes additional customization settings.

It is Musk’s intent to raise subscription numbers to account for the platform’s revenue. It is also meant to overhaul Twitter’s verification process moving forward after the $44 billion takeover of the company on Thursday, Oct. 27, the New York Times reported.

Moreover, employees working on Twitter Blue were informed that they must meet a Nov. 7 deadline or face firing.

Since acquiring Twitter, Musk has been cleaning the shop and letting go of select staff starting from the top. That includes chief executive Parag Agrawal, chief financial officer Ned Sega, the company’s top legal and policy executive Vijaya Gadde and general counsel Sean Edgett.