It took Elon Musk and his teams a little over a month to review their copy. On November 10, Twitter launched its paid certification offer. But in the face of abuse, the service was withdrawn. The subscription to Twitter Blue finally returns this December 12. Here’s what to remember.
• What is Twitter Blue?
Twitter Blue is the name given to the subscription offered by Twitter. It is available from December 12 in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, according to social networking site for $8 or $11 from an Apple device. Before the acquisition of the platform by Elon Musk, this offer already existed and gave access to additional functions or in the test phase.
Now, Twitter Blue is Elon Musk’s main vehicle for profitability. To make this service more attractive, the new boss has added a paid certification. As soon as a user subscribes to the offer, he gets a blue badge, like public or notorious personalities.
• What are the benefits of this subscription?
Apart from access to account certification, Twitter Blue offers many advantages on the platform. Once subscribed, a user can edit a tweet and gain access to the Twitter Blue Lab, where new features are tested before being implemented or not.
In the future, the service promises to highlight an account’s posts and replies in the newsfeed or during a search. Also, a subscriber will see less advertising on the platform and will be able to post longer videos.
• Why has Twitter Blue been criticized?
When it launched in November, the paid certification led to numerous impersonations. By giving anyone an authentication badge, Elon Musk made it possible to fool users by using the blue badge. Given the chaos generated, the system was immediately put on hold.
This option generated a wave of panic among advertisers. Up to one in two companies have stopped buying advertising space on Twitter. But mistrust seems to have subsided since Elon Musk assured that each account will be individually verified before earning the certification badge from him.
• Is access to certification now more secure?
First, companies are no longer at risk of someone impersonating them. In the next few days they will be awarded a gold-colored badge. Confusion will thus be impossible.
Then, additional conditions were added to obtain sesame seeds. To be authenticated, a user must now register her phone number, Forbes specifies. Finally, any change in the name, alias or profile photo generates a temporary withdrawal of the certification. The time when Twitter teams can once again ensure the identity of the account holder.
• Why is it more expensive on iPhone?
During these tests, Elon Musk starred in the discovery of the commissions that the application stores take. Thus, for each user who subscribes to Twitter Blue from their iPhone, Apple receives 30% of the subscription price. The new boss had wanted to go to war against the smartphone maker for some time, but he quickly changed his mind after a discussion with Tim Cook, the head of Apple.
However, Elon Musk had come to imagine creating his own mobile phone to avoid this tax. Ultimately, the billionaire opted for a much more reasonable solution. To continue receiving the $8 for his subscription, the manager has increased his price for users who subscribe from an Apple device. That’s why Twitter Blue is down to $11 on the App Store. To avoid overpaying, Elon Musk encourages those interested to get their subscription from a computer.
Source: BFM TV
