Twitter was expected to implement new policies after Elon Musk took over, and that is exactly what is happening right now. Elon Musk recently announced that the entire verification process will be overhauled.
Musk announced that the verification blue tick will have to be paid for after acquiring Twitter for $44 billion. According to reports, verified Twitter users will have to pay a fee to keep their blue tick, which authenticates the account holder’s identity. As soon as the news became public, it spawned a slew of memes
Elon Musk’s blue tick bargain
In a tweet, author Stephen King stated,”$20 a month to keep my blue check? F that, they should pay me. If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron,” expressing his displeasure with the new reports The tweet wasn’t lost on Musk, who noticed it and responded, “We need to pay the bills somehow! Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers. How about $8?” proposing a negotiated settlement for the original deal.
Meme Fest on the Twitter
Elon and Stephen’s tweet exchange quickly went viral, sparking a meme frenzy on Twitter. A user made a sarcastic video implying that Elon has gone bankrupt after purchasing Twitter.
Another Twitter account shared a popular meme based on this situation. The meme depicted Elon ignoring “free speech” in favor of “fee speech.”
The policy drew a lot of criticism
Musk even stated that it is the only rationale after the viral tweet. In another tweet, he stated, “Before this is implemented, I will explain the reasoning in greater detail. It’s the only way to get rid of the bots and trolls.”
However, the new policy did not sit well with many Twitter users, who voiced their opinions as well.
Another person commented, “Whatever you do, global flat pricing for a global tool does not make sense. Charging $8 in Asian countries is equivalent to charging $50 in the United States. The price should be determined by the country.”
However, Musk also stated that verified status isn’t the only benefit of a Twitter Blue subscription that will be available soon. Accounts that sign up for Twitter Blue will also see half as many advertisements, be able to post longer videos and audio, and have their tweets prioritized in replies, mentions, and searches.
Giving Twitter Blue users priority, according to Musk, is “essential to defeat spam/scam.” In reality, he’s establishing a class system in which those who pay have their voices heard over those who don’t. Musk also assumes that businesses are unlikely to pay for Twitter Blue and that the company will not simply monopolize replies until the entire platform is essentially a microblogged billboard.
