Twitter Blue is spreading its wings today. The social media platform is set to launch its subscription service, which will allow anyone willing to pay $8 a month, $11 for iPhone users, to get that blue check mark.
It was one of the big plans of the new owner and CEO, Elon Musk.
Those willing to pay will get more prominence on the site. It promised that subscribers would “rocket to the top of replies, mentions and search”. Twitter said this feature would be coming soon.
The move comes after a botched revamp of the service last month, which resulted in a host of impersonator accounts appearing on the platform.
Twitter said the blue tick service would combat scams and spam.
Twitter Blue will also allow subscribers to edit tweets for 30 minutes after posting, upload 1080p videos, and get the infamous blue check verification.
Musk tried to walk away from his deal to buy Twitter multiple times, claiming he had concerns over bots and automated accounts.
According to Twitter’s website, the blue tick service is “currently available on iOS only in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, with plans to expand”.
The heftier price tag for iPhone users was announced over the weekend in the run-up to the relaunch. Musk has claimed it is to cover an apparent 30 percent commission Apple charges on some in-app purchases.
It comes as Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook have butted heads over the threat of Apple removing Twitter from its App Store.
Twitter has not yet officially explained why Apple users are being charged more than others, not the web.
Twitter had initially launched Twitter Blue early in November before pausing it as fake accounts mushroomed. It was then scheduled to launch again on Nov. 29 but was pushed back.
The company also confirmed that it would introduce a color-coded verification scheme, with businesses receiving a gold tick or checkmark and government accounts receiving a grey symbol.
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