Twitter has taken a major step by announcing that it will be removing the blue checkmarks from legacy accounts today, i.e. April 20. This decision came after Twitter CEO Elon Musk publicly stated that the current verification process was “deeply flawed”. He said that by removing these blue ticks, Twitter would thus be able to turbocharge its revenue as more users would opt for Twitter Blue, their new paid subscription service.
Twitter Blue is the new paid verification system rolled out by the company last year, and it is currently being made global. The new service not only grants access to the blue badge to users, but also provides a few extra benefits such as the ability to post longer tweets, edit tweets, upload better quality videos and other features. To acquire the new badge, individuals must meet the criteria set by Twitter, provide the necessary details like official email address and a link to an official website that has references to the account holder.
In India, the monthly fee of subscribing to Twitter Blue is Rs 900 for Android and iOS users. The web version fees are currently set at Rs 650 for month with an annual plan of Rs 566.7 per month.
As much as these changes are likely to grant more people the chance to get verified, those who are already in possession of the badge may need to repurchase it, as their existing verification will be no longer valid.
Elon Musk is well known as the founder, CEO and Chief Engineer of Tesla Inc. Additionally, he is also well known for his various other endeavors, including the launch of SpaceX. As the head of one of the most revolutionary companies in the sci-fi industry, Elon Musk is no stranger to innovation and has been known to drive further progress in technology.
As Twitter continues to roll out its new system, it will be interesting to see how Twitter Blue is received. It is safe to assume that this move of monetizing verification badges will prove to be an effective strategy for its sustainability in the long run.
