Twitter Blue, which seems to be the main means of improving Twitter monetization for Elon Musk, finally it will be available again starting next Mondayas reported by the social network in a thread Posted a few hours ago. As you may recall, Musk’s initial plan was to offer verified, along with the other Twitter Blue enhancements, for a monthly fee of $20 per month. Obviously the reactions were more than angry and, when negotiating in a street bazaar in Marrakech, he launched into haggling, finally offering it for eight dollars a month.
The thousand warnings were useless that, by offering the verified simply for the payment of the monthly fee, the ban was opened for the illegitimate use of an identifier that, until then, had served to give credibility (in reference to its identification) to the accounts that had it. The plan went ahead and, as we were able to verify, the result was absolutely bizarre, even affecting the stock prices of some companies that were supplanted. Given the disaster, Twitter was forced to stop hiring Twitter Blue and the consequent assignment of verified.
Additionally, we already said it at the time, Twitter Blue could end up negatively affecting the income of the social network. And it is that the display of less advertising added to the commission of Apple for the sales in app, would reduce the economic benefit of the accounts. And we were not very wrong in said analysis because, at the beginning of this month, we learned that the return of Twitter Blue was on hold precisely due to disagreements with Apple, both in terms of advertising and the already more than well-known 30% commission that it charges. Apple for sales through its platform.
we’re launching @TwitterBlue on Monday – subscribe on web for $8/month or on iOS for $11/month to get access to subscriber-only features, including the blue checkmark 🧵 pic.twitter.com/DvvsLoSO50
—Twitter (@Twitter) December 10, 2022
A few days ago we learned that Apple has returned to advertise on Twitter. which made us think that the situation between the two technology companies was easing, but the announcement of the reactivation of Twitter Blue comes as a surprise for those in Cupertino, since the increase in the price of the service, of one cent (goes from 7 .99 to $8), an additional three dollars is added if the service is contracted from iOS, a premium with which the social network intends to compensate Apple’s commission.
When the time comes, it will be interesting to check the response of those from Cupertino, since generally the company does not usually fit this type of action too well. The possible departure of the Twitter app from the App Store was already on the table a few days ago, although it is true that at that time it was as a threat from Musk. If now it is Apple who decides to threaten in this regard, and returns to withdraw advertising from Twitter, the result could be truly negative for the social network.
On the other hand, Twitter Blue will now require a phone number and, as stated in the thread, a manual verification will take place to confirm that, indeed, the user is who he claims to be. If it works properly, this subscription modality may end up being a relief for the battered accounts of the social network (and by extension for those of Musk) but, otherwise, if the promised verification proves to be inefficient, the situation may become even worse. difficult, at least economically.
