Elon Musk, the new owner and CEO of Twitter, is leaving his mark on the popular social media platform.
The billionaire didn’t spend any time making changes to Twitter when he purchased it on October 27. A lot has happened under Musk’s leadership, from removing executives to establishing a new content control committee.
However, Twitter’s drama with Musk began long before he became leadership. Twitter filed a lawsuit against Musk after he tried to back out of their April agreement that would have seen him purchase the firm. The date that would have compelled the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla to go to court with Twitter had passed when he eventually concluded his purchase of the firm after months of ugly legal fights.
Musk, who has over 112 million Twitter followers, said the night he made his $44 billion acquisition that “the bird is liberated.”
Here’s the latest information on Musk’s takeover of Twitter:
On November 1st, Musk proposes implementing a fee for verification.
Musk suggested in a series of tweets that the blue verification check mark should cost $8 a month as part of Twitter’s paid membership. Twitter Blue, the company’s $5/month membership plan, does not presently feature verification as a bonus.
The blue check mark is intended to assist users discern whether an account of a celebrity, journalist, or other famous person is false or real, and at the moment Twitter does not charge to verify accounts with the badge.
Musk tweeted that the fee would vary by location, and that subscribers will have access to features such as “priority in responses, mentions & search, which is crucial to beat spam/scam,” “the ability to upload extended video & audio,” and “half as many advertising.”
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier today that Twitter Blue users would no longer have access to ad-free content from sites including Vox, the Los Angeles Times, and Insider. There have been rumors circulating about Twitter Blue membership costs ranging from $10 to $20 per month.
In his tweets, Musk has been vague on whether or not verified users would be required to pay for a membership in order to keep their blue check mark. In a tweet, Musk said that celebrities and other famous people will soon get their own “secondary tag,” similar to the one used for lawmakers.
Sarah Personette, the company’s chief customer officer, also announced her resignation on Twitter on Friday.
