Twitter verification: Who would actually pay for Twitter Blue?

It is incredible to think at one point Elon Musk was seen as an absolute genius who could do no wrong.

To call his management of Twitter 'disastrous’ is an understatement and has also seen his stock plummet – literally if you look at Tesla – from mysterious mogul, to a man many wouldn't back to arrange a drinking session at an open bar.

On Friday it was announced ‘legacy checkmarks’, aka blue ticks to you and I, would be deactivated, with Twitter HQ tweeting telling users to subscribe to its Blue subscription if they want to keep their check.

All of this is part of Musk’s aims, after “setting the bird free” in October, to drive half of Twitter’s revenues through subscription. Users are being urged “not to lose their checkmark” and pay $8 a month for the privilege of higher ranking replies and an ability for longer, editable tweets. What it does not guarantee is that you are speaking to the legitimate person, because, why would you want that assurance?

Elon Musk announced changes to Twitter Blue

Speaking as a Twitter user I can’t help but wonder who would want this. Who would possibly want to pay for the experience of more exclusive access to a social media platform that is, at times, hostile and toxic. Most of the people I know actively take Twitter breaks for their own mental health – and we haven’t even scratched the surface with what it must be like for females on such a platform.

This latest attempt to obtain revenue from Twitter could be expected to fail because most people will not pay for it. But the bigger question should be who in their right mind thinks the majority would? If this is the state of things to come, then one of the world’s most popular social media platforms will soon be a ghost town.

It’s like something of a modern-day Greatest Showman – come tweet your favourite celebrity and see what they are up to (P.S it may not actually be your favourite celebrity behind the account).

Many have been looking for an excuse to get off Twitter, and the announcement of mandatory Twitter Blue for verification, which comes in fully on April 1, may leave a certain CEO feeling very foolish indeed.