Twitter begins rolling out $7.99 Twitter Blue plan with verification, fewer ads

The launch may have been premature. Some users are seeing notifications as part of a live test, according to Esther Crawford, a product lead at Twitter.

Less than a week after Musk proposed changes to the system for verification of user accounts, he appears to have started rolling out a new tier of the premium subscription service.

The blue verification checkmark will be added to accounts that applied through the free verification process, according to an in-app notification. Other benefits listed as "coming soon" include "half the ads" seen by non- paying users, as well as "twice as relevant" ads, and the ability to post longer videos to Twitter.

This image was taken at TechCrunch.

It is not clear if verified users will lose their blue checkmark if they don't pay a monthly fee. The language in the notification seems to suggest that this won't be the case, but a report by The Verge indicated that verification badges could be stripped from accounts that don't pay for the service within 90 days.

Priority ranking for "quality content" will be offered by the new, costlier Twitter Blue, promising to boost Blue subscribers' visibility in replies, mentions and search. The notifications screen in the app does not show verified users'tweets in the first tab. Time will tell if the claim that this will help lower the visibility of scam and bot is true.

This image was taken at TechCrunch.

A new program for circumventing paywalls for publishers willing to work with the company was promised by Musk. The program doesn't seem to have made it into the new Blue if Musk follows through with the proposal.

It is available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the U.K. With an estimated $1 billion a year in interest payments on $13 billion in debt, Musk claims that the cuts are necessary to bring the company to profitability.

It is likely to be a tough fight. Blue was the top purchase of $6.4 million in in-app purchases, according to data from Sensor Tower. A majority of respondents in a survey said no to paying for verification.

Many of the major advertisers have paused their campaigns on the platform due to Musk's management. Musk blamed a drop in revenue on activist groups pressuring advertisers, likely referring to an open letter sent Tuesday by civil society organizations urging advertisers to suspend their ads if Musk didn't commit to enforce safety standards and community guidelines.