Users with a large number of followers on X (formerly Twitter) will now get a free subscription to the platform, as well as the famous blue checkmark. This is a new about-face for Elon Musk’s company regarding the user certification system.
Before the takeover of the social network by the boss of Tesla and SpaceX, the blue checkmark was free but reserved for notorious accounts. It thus made it possible to authenticate the accounts of public figures. “influential”.
Elon Musk, who considered this system unfair for lesser-known users, made the blue checkmarks accessible with paid subscriptions. This had the consequence of depriving thousands of accounts of this attribute.
Wednesday April 3, at the end of the day, some users were surprised to see the return of their blue check mark. A message from X explained that they had received free subscriptions as “influential member” of the network. The Californian company added that it “reserved the right to cancel the free subscription at its sole discretion”.
Elon Musk announced last week that“in the future, all X accounts with more than 2,500 authenticated subscribers will benefit from Premium features for free and accounts with more than 5,000 subscribers will benefit from Premium + features for free”.
Erratic governance
Since the end of 2023, X users have had the choice between three plans: Basic, Premium and Premium +, respectively at 3, 8 and 16 dollars per month. The cheapest option includes basic editing tools and two-factor authentication.
Premium also includes access to tools for creators (which allow you to be paid), the famous blue check mark and access to Grok, X’s artificial intelligence chatbot. Premium + subscribers no longer see advertisements and their messages are more likely to be read.
Since the billionaire bought Twitter for $44 billion at the end of 2022, the social network’s advertising business, crucial to its survival, has collapsed. Because brands appreciate neither erratic governance nor the weakening of content moderation.
On Tuesday, X named Kylie McRoberts, a veteran of the group, as head of security. The objective: to recover advertising revenues.