Elon Musk is apparently planning a new Twitter subscription that will cost $20 per month. It is also to include the blue tick, i.e. the previously free option to verify a Twitter account. He is also threatening layoffs if employees don’t implement his directive quickly enough.
What would be a day without news from Elon Musk and his Twitter deal at the moment? The billionaire’s latest idea: users who want to verify their Twitter account should apparently pay money for it in the future.
Twitter account verification to cost 20 US dollars
Until now, all users had the opportunity to request verification of their account free of charge. However, as the US tech magazine The Verge reports, only Twitter Blue subscribers will have this option in the future. A blue check mark in the profile indicates that the account has been verified.
Verify Twitter: Only 90 days to pay new price
Musk has also instructed his staff to change the optional Twitter Blue to a more expensive subscription. Currently, users pay $4.99 per month for it.
According to internal reports, however, the price will soon rise to $19.99 per month. Users who have already verified their subscription would only have 90 days to sign up for the new plan. If they miss this deadline, they will apparently lose their blue tick.
Musk threatens with cancellations
To ensure that the idea is implemented promptly, Musk is putting pressure on Twitter employees with an ultimatum. Until November 7, 2022 – just one week – the employees have time to implement the new instruction.
Musk already announced in advance in a tweet that the entire verification process will be revised. The Verge suspects that will include how the company deals with bots.
Musk plans mass layoffs at Twitter
Musk’s plan to lay off about 75 percent of its employees has also been making the rounds for some time. He said this process should start this week, but affect fewer employees. However, the managers of the individual departments have already drawn up lists of the employees to be laid off.
Last week, Musk already fired Twitter’s previous CEO Parag Agrawal. Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal and Legal Affairs and Policy Chief Vijaya Gadde also had to vacate their desks.
Twitter Blue was launched just under a year ago. Musk is said to be keen on subscriptions accounting for half of Twitter’s total revenue.
