A Rollercoaster ride for Twitter

Twitter recently removed the legacy checkmarks of accounts that refused to subscribe to Twitter Blue. However, Elon Musk is returning the precious blue check mark to celebrities even if they are not paying the $8 monthly fee. This is because Musk wants people to buy the company’s Blue subscription if they want to retain the badge. The price of the subscription for both Android and iOS users is Rs 900 whereas through the Twitter website on a browser the subscription costs Rs 650.

The actual drama started on 1st November, Musk announced the microblogging site will start charging $8 per month for "Twitter Blue'', which will give paid-for accounts the same blue check marks that were previously awarded free of charge to "notable" accounts.

But chaos ensues. Spammers and impersonators rush to buy the blue ticks, experts warn of a flood of disinformation and Twitter quickly rows back the launch.

Dozens of companies, including Coca-Cola and Volkswagen, suspended their advertising on Twitter in November as they monitor the new direction the company will take. By some estimates, the site loses half of its top 100 advertisers, though ads remain its main source of revenue. In mid-December Musk relaunched Twitter Blue. This time, Twitter promises to review accounts before giving them a blue tick.

At the end of March, Musk tells staff in an internal message that the platform is worth less than half of what he paid for it. A few weeks later he tells the BBC his ownership has been "quite a rollercoaster" and that he only bought the company because he believed the courts would force him to.

Twitter remains a popular and influential social media platform. It has finally removed the Blue Tick from Verified accounts. Only those who are paying for Twitter Blue are now allowed to keep a Blue Tick. While many have expressed their disappointment on the platform saying they would not give money to Twitter to regain the blue verification badge, some people who have paid the micro-blogging too haven’t got it.