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Elon Musk’s pay-to-play strategy will make Twitter too clubby

There’s value in authentication but charging US$8 (S$11.30) a month for a blue tick is problematic.

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A current version of Twitter Blue, for US$4.99 per month, offers a different set of features.

Among the benefits of Mr Elon Musk’s Twitter Blue service would be priority in replies, mentions and search.

PHOTO: REUTERS

Tim Culpan

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Twitter is set to

charge users US$8 (S$11.30) per month

for the privilege of having the blue tick honorific put on their account. We know this because Mr Elon Musk said so – one of many proposals the world’s richest man has put forth over the past year aimed at improving the social media platform and its profitability.

The key difference is that

Mr Musk is now the owner, chairman and chief executive.

What he says, goes. Unless he changes his mind, which he’s wont to do. Or he’s simply joking, which also happens. This feels pretty real, though, given that he’s talked about it quite regularly in the past.

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