New Twitter owner and CEO Elon Musk has replied to a tweet made by horror author Stephen King about the $20 charge for verified accounts. In a subsequent tweet, Musk actually briefly explains the reasoning behind the charge.
It has previously been reported that Twitter may start charging verified accounts $20 in order to keep their blue check.
Here is what you have to know:
Elon Musk Replies to Stephen King's Tweet Regarding $20 Charge
Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks during the unveiling of the new Tesla Model Y in Hawthorne, California on March 14, 2019.
The exchange between the Twitter owner and CEO and the horror author began when the latter tweeted his unhappiness regarding the $20 charge for verified accounts. You can view the tweet of Stephen King in its entirety below:
$20 a month to keep my blue check? Fuck that, they should pay me. If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) October 31, 2022
Musk went on to reply to King and said, "We need to pay the bills somehow!" The Twitter CEO also pointed out that the social media platform cannot rely on advertisers alone. In a follow-up tweet, Musk assured that he will explain the reason behind it before the implementation. He also insisted that it is "the only way" to beat trolls and bots.
I will explain the rationale in longer form before this is implemented. It is the only way to defeat the bots & trolls.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 1, 2022
Related Article: Verified Twitter Accounts to be Charged $20, Reports Say
The $20 Charge for Verified Accounts
As previously mentioned, it has been reported that Twitter is planning to charge $20 a month for the Twitter Blue subscription, according to a report by The Verge.
"Employees working on the project were told on Sunday that they need to meet a deadline of November 7th to launch the feature or they will be fired," The Verge adds.
MacRumors notes in its own report that, as of press time, applying for verification on the social media platform is free of charge. The $20 fee that Elon Musk wants implemented includes account verification. Those who do not pay the fee risk losing their blue checks as a result.
The current Twitter Blue subscription only costs $4.99.
Elon Musk as Twitter's New Owner and CEO
Elon Musk has been pretty busy since officially purchasing Twitter. To mark the beginning of Musk's reign as the owner, top executives of the social media platform have been fired. These include former CEO Parag Agrawal and Chief Finance Officer Ned Segal. It has since also been confirmed that Elon Musk is the new Twitter CEO.
The reaction to Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter has been mixed. There are those who are very much not a fan of the new owner. Some have already quit, while others have threatened to quit. An example is retired wrestler Mick Foley, who immediately deactivated his account.
Others, on the other hand, celebrated the change. One of them is Former President Donald Trump, who went as far as to say that the social media platform "is now in sane hands."
Previous reports have showed changes being made to Twitter, including the indefinite halt to Ticketed Spaces as well as the return of Vine.
Read Also: Twitter Will Form A 'Content Moderation Council,' Says Elon Musk
