Elon Musk to revamp Twitter verification rules: What is the ‘pay for blue tick’ row

In a reply to another user, Musk wrote on October 31, “the whole verification process is being revamped right now.” He later tweeted on November 1 that the company does intend to charge for the Blue Tick. In a series of tweets, Musk wrote, that the current system of “lords and peasants” does not work, and he intends to “give power to the people! Blue for $8/month.”

Twitter’s current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bullshit.

Power to the people! Blue for $8/month.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 1, 2022

So yes, users in the US will have to pay $8 per month for Twitter Blue in order to hold on to their blue tick of verification. But he added that the price would be adjusted, according to the country and would be proportional to purchasing power parity. This means the price could be lower in India.

He also added that users who pay will get some other features. This includes “priority in replies, mentions and search,” which in his view will be “essential to defeating spam/scam.” These users will also be able to post long videos and audio and will be shown “half as many ads.” Musk said that users will also get an option to bypass website paywalls, though this will depend on publishers willing to work with the company. He added that this will also give “Twitter a revenue stream to reward content creators.”

Finally for public figures, “there will be a secondary tag below the name for someone who is a public figure, which is already the case for politicians.” Another report by The Platformer said that Twitter is also exploring an annual $99.99 plan. For the uninitiated, the Twitter Blue subscription is already available in select countries and offers its subscribers access to some unique features. For instance, the ability to edit tweets is currently limited to those with a Twitter Blue subscription.

Is Musk joking about getting people to pay for Twitter Blue?

No, he is very serious. In another tweet, Musk wrote, “To all complainers, please continue complaining, but it will cost $8.”

To all complainers, please continue complaining, but it will cost $8

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 2, 2022

Check out his tweets below

The whole verification process is being revamped right now

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 30, 2022

Interesting

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 31, 2022

We need to pay the bills somehow! Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers. How about $8?

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 1, 2022

What is the Blue Tick and why do people want it on their account?

The Blue Tick is a prized feature on Twitter, and is usually added to the account handle after a verification process. A ‘blue tick’ signifies that the account really belongs to the said person or organisation, which is critical when it comes to differentiating between genuine and parody accounts. For instance, there are many parody accounts for celebrities, journalists, politicians and heads of state. But the ‘Blue tick’ makes it clear that the account is authentic and handled by the said person or organisation. This also explains why so many users are not comfortable paying for this feature.

Keep in mind that Twitter’s verification process has long attracted criticism. Many users have complained that they should be verified and the process is arbitrary and unfair. With Musk making this an option for everyone who can afford to pay, it could open up new sources of revenue and silence many of these critics.

Many also view the Blue tick as a symbol of having ‘made’ it on the site — which is critical given that Twitter is an important public platform.

How does Twitter verify users typically?

Twitter reopened verification last year and allowed any user to apply directly for the process. This was part of the attempt to make the process appear more transparent–though criticisms remained. According to Twitter’s existing criteria, “an account still has to be ‘notable, authentic and active’ to get verified,” and it allows users to apply once every 30 days. There was also no limit on the number of applications one could submit. In fact, when the process reopened, many had their applications rejected in the first instance, only to get approval in the second or third attempt.

Twitter verifies accounts in the following categories: Government, Companies, brands and organisations, news organisations and journalists, Entertainment, Sports and gaming, Activists, scientists (including Academics), religious leaders and other influential individuals. The company had also said at the time that the policy would evolve around who gets verified.

Twitter had denied that follower count was critical for verification– another point which raised criticism. Some with a high follower count found they did not get verified. Twitter also made it clear that a verified account which was inactive would lose the blue tick.