In a move marking the one-year anniversary of Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, the rebranded “X” platform launched two fresh subscription plans, responding to the social network’s current financial challenges.
Users now have the choice between three subscription tiers: Basic, Premium (formerly known as “Blue”), and Premium+, priced at $3, $8, and $16 per month, respectively.
Beyond the features available in the Premium plan, Premium+ subscribers gain heightened visibility for their messages, increasing the likelihood of engagement, and an ad-free experience on the platform.
The more budget-friendly option includes fundamental editing tools, such as message corrections and the ability to post longer video clips. However, it excludes tools reserved for content creators (enabling revenue generation) and the renowned blue verification badge.
The introduction of the subscription service “Blue” occurred somewhat chaotically in the months following Elon Musk’s $44 billion acquisition of Twitter. This move aimed to diversify income streams and offer account verification to all users interested in the feature.
While the blue verification badge was once free and restricted to specific user categories with a certain level of fame, it is now a paid feature accessible to all users.
With this shift in approach and a noticeable reduction in content moderation, the platform has become more disorderly, witnessing an uptick in fake accounts acquiring blue verification badges to spread false information or rumors.
Numerous advertisers opted to pull away from “X,” causing the platform’s value to plummet to $20 billion, and advertising revenue to undergo a 50% reduction, as reported by Elon Musk.
There’s a possibility that the network might transition into a paid service for everyone; in countries like New Zealand and the Philippines, new users are now required to pay one dollar annually to use the application.
The platform justified this change by aiming to combat automated accounts that could artificially amplify political messages, among other concerns.
Elon Musk envisions transforming the platform into a versatile app, drawing inspiration from the Chinese WeChat model, which functions as both a messaging and online payment service. Musk has initiated testing for the addition of direct voice and video call features on “X.”
On Friday, he inscribed the word “freedom” on his profile, resharing his message from a year ago on the acquisition anniversary: “The bird is free,” alluding to the obsolete Twitter blue bird logo.
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