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Ever dreamed of getting that famed blue checkmark next to your Twitter handle? Soon you’ll be able to ... for a small fee.
Jeremy Kole has the scoop.
Twitter’s new verification policy has social media up in arms.
Today, Elon Musk unexpectedly announced the new verification subscription will cost $8 a month by tweeting a meme of himself sporting his devilish red and black leather armor Halloween costume.
Initial reports indicated that Musk would charge $20 a month for a blue checkmark, sparking outrage amongst celebrities, athletes, and journalists, including Stephen King, who tweeted:
Stephen King: $20 a month to keep my blue check? F**k that, they should pay me. If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron.
In response, Musk attributed the price hike to paying the bills, saying that Twitter cannot solely rely on advertisers for money. But the $20 price tag is no more.
Today, Musk tweeted:
Elon Musk: 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.
Twitter will now package verification alongside their current subscription Twitter Blue, which gives users access to premium features to customize their Twitter experience. The new Twitter Blue will now offer a variety of benefits, including the ability to post long video & audio clips and half as many ads.
It’s understandable that Musk wants to make more money, but this new approach is cause for concern. Verification has always been viewed as a sign of authenticity and legitimacy, but now anyone with $8 can earn the fabled blue checkmark.
KREM 2 News Reporter Nathan Hyun went through a three month process to earn verification, and was ecstatic to see he was approved. For Hyun, the blue checkmark conveyed that people could trust him. But Hyun is unhappy with the change to a subscription based verification model.
Nathan Hyun: For journalists like myself and for other reporters, the reason why we why verification matters to us is because that’s how people know we’re authentic and we’re real. And now average people, the everyday people can get a checkmark and really puts down it really puts down the trust trustworthiness of how much people can believe us in our reporting.
Hyun is unsure if he will pay for his checkmark, and doesn’t understand why he needs to pay for people to trust him.
Nathan Hyun: I just know if I lose the verification, I think people are going to trust me less.
Twitter introduced the verification system in 2009, to increase trust in the social network. Ironically, Musk’s new change appears like it will only increase distrust.