As you surely remember, because it happened just yesterday, we learned that Elon Musk planned to raise the price of Twitter Blue, the premium version of the social network, and that it was also going to link it with its verified program. A decision that was already controversial per seand that generated even more angry responses when it was learned that his plans were to raise the price of Blue to as much as twenty dollars a month.
Let us remember that, as of today, the price of the subscription is 4.99 US dollars, but that this has only been the case since the summer, when a substantial price increase was applied, no less than 67%, from the $2.99 per month it cost until then. To put it in perspective, and if the price increase to $19.99 per month had finally been confirmed, we would be talking about an increase of 301% from its current price, and that it scales up to an inconceivable 569% if we compare that new price with the $2.99 that Twitter Blue debuted with.
This, which is outrageous in itself, was even more surprising when, this morning, it became known that Twitter Blue had removed, without prior notice, one of its most interesting features, a selection of 300 US media, which subscribers of Twitter Blue could read without advertising. The decision was communicated yesterday to these collaborating media, and users have discovered it today, when the change had already been carried out. Rise in prices and elimination of advantages… it does not seem like a well-studied business planthe truth.
Twitter’s current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bullshit.
Power to the people! Blue for $8/month.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 1, 2022
At least it seems that someone has decided to do numbers and, as we can read in a tweet from Musk himselfFinally the price of Twitter Blue will go up, but only up to eight dollars a month, very far from the savagery that the project of raising it to twenty dollars supposed. He has also taken the opportunity to say, as you can read in the text and I quote verbatim, «Twitter’s current lords and peasants system of knowing who has or doesn’t have a blue check mark sucks“, which ends, along with the price, emphatically stating “Power to the people!” For the people who can (and want) to pay 96 dollars a year, of course.
Thus, the rise, in two sections (July and the current one) supposes a total increase of 168% in a matter of four months (assuming that the new price begins to apply, at the latest, on November 30), which is also quite high but, of course, remains a much more reasonable option, after the 569% that would have been to go ahead with the price of 20 dollars per month.
Now there are two, of course, the doubts around Twitter Blue and the verified ones. The first is if the jump of the subscription modality to other countries will arrive soonWell, let’s remember that since its launch and until now, it is only available in Australia, Canada, the United States and New Zealand. If the verifications are finally associated with the subscription, and this movement is carried out on a global scale without the coverage of the service having been extended, there are many accounts that, even if they are willing to pay for it, will be left without this possibility.
And, on the other hand, even if finally Twitter Blue becomes available worldwide, also It will be necessary to check if the current holders of the verified, are willing to go through the box every month to keep it. With the price of eight dollars a month it is unknown, but given the prospect that it would be 20, Stephen King has already spoken very clearly about it through, of course, his Twitter account:
$20 a month to keep my blue check? Fuck that, they should pay me. If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) October 31, 2022
