SpaceX founder Elon Musk pushes a new Twitter era focused on free speech, but with a financial catch.
Elon Musk has been the subject of controversial headlines as of late after taking over the social media app Twitter. According to Reuters, Musk aimed to make the social media app a town hall promoting free speech. However, the tech mogul has been bombarded with complaints regarding how he has handled Twitter.
Among the complainants include the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whom CBS reports has been having difficulties with the social media app. The issue comes after her feud with Musk on getting users' feedback on the idea of certain features like the blue check mark will be paid for in the social media app.
Lmao at a billionaire earnestly trying to sell people on the idea that “free speech” is actually a $8/mo subscription plan
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 2, 2022
Despite many users questioning Musk's free speech agenda, more can be said about the new paid features that the tech mogul has been teasing since taking over the social media app.
Twitter Users to Start Paying for Blue Check Mark?
According to The Guardian, Musk proposed that the blue check mark should be available to all users interested in paying $8 a month. Originally, the blue check mark served as a verification of celebrities or accounts of public interest.
Since Musk first expressed his idea on his Twitter account, several celebrities who currently have the blue check mark next to their name have expressed their disapproval of the idea. Among the complainants include critically-acclaimed author Stephen King, who stated that he would immediately leave the app if the idea of him needing to pay a subscription to keep his blue check mark did happen.
However, Musk reacts to King's tweet in a humorous exchange when the tech mogul tries to haggle the price of the blue check mark from $20 to $8.
We need to pay the bills somehow! Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers. How about $8?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 1, 2022
Elon Musk Proposes Paywalled Videos on Twitter
Additionally, Business news reports that Musk is planning to introduce "paywalled" videos to Twitter, similar to platforms like OnlyFans, where users would need to pay a subscription fee to view content.
If Musk's plan comes to fruition, Twitter users would be asked to pay a fee to watch video content from certain users. The revenue would be split between Twitter and the content creators, according to sources who were familiar with the Twitter project.
Interestingly, Musk has also shown interest in bringing back the video app Vine in a Twitter poll on Oct. 31, to which users voted "yes" to reviving the app. Vine grew in popularity in 2010 as the original pastime for watching looping videos and memes. While Vine was developed independently, it was later on bought and launched by Twitter in 2013.
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Written by: Andi C.
