Many Users Disapprove of the Idea of Paying $8 for a Verification Checkmark
After recently acquiring the social media platform Twitter, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has been making significant changes to the platform’s workforce and structure. One of the aims of these changes is to boost revenue for the platform, as Musk believes that income from advertisers is insufficient.
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One of Musk’s strategies to monetize Twitter’s user base is to introduce a fee for users to obtain the blue verification checkmark on their accounts. Initially, Musk proposed a $20 monthly fee for this service, but this was met with strong opposition from users. Notably, Musk engaged in a public exchange with well-known author Stephen King, who stated he would rather leave the platform than pay for verification.
“$20 a month to keep my blue check? F— that, they should pay me,” King tweeted. “If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron.”
“We need to pay the bills somehow!” Musk replied to King. “Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers. How about $8?”
Musk makes me think of Tom Sawyer, who is given the job of whitewashing a fence as punishment. Tom cons his friends into doing the chore for him, and getting them to pay for the privilege. That’s what Musk wants to do with Twitter. No, no, no.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) November 3, 2022
However, this revised lower pricing proposal has also faced criticism, with many internet and TV personalities criticizing Musk for suggesting such a move.
“So, here’s my question: If you’re trying to create equality on Twitter, why charge anyone to be verified? Just give everyone a blue checkmark then,” remarked Trevor Noah, host of The Daily Show, on Wednesday night. “Why are you charging people? It doesn’t make sense to offer it as ‘equality’ and then put a price on it, do you get what I’m saying? Can you imagine if MLK was out there like, ‘I have a dream. I have a dream… and I’ll tell you all about it for $8.99 a month.’ It wouldn’t be the same thing.”