Elon Musk's photo is seen through a Twitter logo in this illustration taken on October 28, 2022. File Photo / Reuters
California: Twitter Inc. plans to raise its optional Twitter Blue monthly subscription price to $19.99 from $4.99, and launch new features including paid user verification, the Verge reported late on Sunday.
Under the plan, verified users would have 90 days to subscribe or they would lose their blue checkmark, according to the report, which cited unidentified people familiar with the matter and internal correspondence it had seen.
Staff working on the project were told they will be dismissed if they don’t meet the November 7 launch deadline, the Verge said.
After the report, investor Jason Calacanis queried Twitter users in a poll on how much they would spend to get verified, with options ranging from "wouldn’t pay” to $15 a month. Musk noted it was "interesting” after 78.7% of the responders so far said they wouldn’t pay.
Elon Musk’s plans for Twitter have been wide-ranging since his $44bn takeover closed, with focuses including potential cuts to staffing and overhauling content moderation. The billionaire entrepreneur has also been vocal about eliminating bots on the website.
A spokesperson for Twitter didn’t respond to the The Verge’s request for comment.
