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Chaos ensues as Elon Musk touts paid Twitter verification

Iris Young 2 years ago
A user fires up the Twitter app on his smartphone in Calgary on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022. The beleaguered social media giant has faced multiple challenges anew since billionaire Elon Musk officially acquired it on Oct. 27, 2022. (Photo by Iris Young/SAIT)

After months of back and forth, which included harsh words, whistleblowing, and lawsuits, Elon Musk is officially the new owner of Twitter. Of course, in true Musk fashion, he “let that sink in” in the most telling way possible.

Since the deal was sealed late Thursday, Oct. 27, Musk had fired Twitter’s leadership and the entire board of directors, installed himself as CEO, teased the return of Vine, and flouted the promise of “free speech” on the platform.

But the drama is far from over. The latest in the Twitter saga has the self-proclaimed “Chief Twit” angling for paid verification as a means to turn a profit.

At present, Twitter verification is free. However, users go through stringent vetting to get verified. Thus far, this has been a tried-and-true way of separating legitimate accounts from imposters and bots, especially for celebrities, politicians, journalists, influencers, and even businesses.

Sources say that Musk’s directive is to overhaul Twitter Blue, an optional monthly subscription priced at $4.99 that unlocks a handful of additional features. The new iteration will be priced at $19.99 and will include verification. Current verified users are to be given 90 days to subscribe or lose their coveted blue checkmarks.

Unsurprisingly, this new development has been met with backlash, with some of Twitter’s most respected and beloved users weighing in.

The final nail in the coffin for Musk’s $20-a-month plan was eventually hammered in by author Stephen King, whose strongly worded tweet prompted both a response from Musk and a sizeable price drop.

Despite this olive branch, it is clear that the issue of paid Twitter verification has created yet another rift in the traditionally contentious platform.

Journalists, in particular, have expressed concern.

@taylorlorenz

Replying to @professionallygenx I’ll probably pay and expense it since it’s important for work (reaching out to ppl for comment) #twitter #elon #elonmusk #tech #technews #technology

♬ The Loneliest Time – Carly Rae Jepsen & Rufus Wainwright

So now the question remains…

But regardless of how this saga plays out, one thing’s for sure: Twitter is where all the drama is right now.