Twitter Blue is expected to roll out in India in less than a month, the microblogging site’s new boss Elon Musk has confirmed.
“Hopefully, less than a month,” Mr Musk said in reply to a user’s query on when the premium service would be launched in India. This came soon after the $8 verification service was launched in some regions. For now, Twitter Blue with the new verification system is available only on iPhones in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.
In the latest update on the Twitter app in iPhones, the notification read, “Starting today, we’re adding great new features to Twitter Blue, and have more on the way soon. Get Twitter Blue for $7.99/month if you sign up now.” “Blue checkmark: Power to the people. Your account will get a blue checkmark, just like the celebrities, companies, and politicians you already follow,” Twitter said.
Twitter also gave a summary of some of the new features it will roll out soon for verified accounts.
“Coming soon… Half the ads and much better ones. Since you’re supporting Twitter in the battle against the bots, we’re going to reward you with half the ads and make them twice as relevant,” the company said.
“Post longer videos: You’ll finally be able to post longer videos to Twitter. Priority ranking for quality content: Your content will get priority ranking in replies, mentions and search. This helps lower the visibility of scams, spam, and bots,” it said.
Twitter’s move to introduce a monthly fee for the blue tick has divided users. Some have said that content creators such as writers and journalists contribute reliable content to Twitter and it is unfair to charge them a fee in return. Others, however, have backed the new Twitter boss and said the new verification system also offers added features.
Mr Musk had already announced that the fee for Twitter blue will be “adjusted by country proportionate to purchasing power parity”. He had, however, not specified how the “purchasing power” would be decided.