(San Francisco) The launch of the US$8 per month subscription to Twitter Blue, for users wanting a certified account and convenient benefits, seemed on track a week after Elon Musk took over the social network.
Posted at 5:00 p.m.
Updated at 6:09 p.m.
Twitter’s mobile application has indeed been offering an update since Saturday which should soon make it possible to subscribe to the new subscription so desired by the new boss.
“Get Twitter Blue for $7.99 a month if you sign up now,” the update says, only on iPhones for now.
“The new Blue is not yet activated – the sprint to launch continues but some people may see updates because we are testing the changes in real time,” tweeted Esther Crawford, Chief Product Officer. developing California business.
“The Twitter team is legendary. The New Blue is coming soon! “, she added.
On Friday, half of Twitter’s 7,500 employees were laid off, a week after the Tesla boss acquired the platform.
He launched the redesign of Twitter Blue as a priority, making certain teams work day and night on it, with the objective of a potential activation on Monday.
Currently this US$5 subscription contains premium features, like a more comfortable reading mode.
Elon Musk wants to add account certification, so far free but serving as a guarantee of authenticity and reserved for eligible accounts such as governments and political, cultural or sports personalities.
“The current system of lords and peasants, with those who have the blue tick and those who don’t, is bullshit. Power to the people! Blue for $8 a month,” the Tesla and SpaceX boss said on Tuesday.
“Blue Badge: Power to the People: Your account will receive a blue tick, just like the celebrities, businesses and politicians you already follow,” the app now promises.
The update also lists other advantages mentioned by Elon Musk, such as a priority given to the display of tweets from subscribers and the possibility of posting longer videos and audio messages.
“As you support Twitter in its fight against automated accounts, we will reward you with half the ads, twice as relevant”, further specifies the app.
The Californian company needs to diversify its revenues, which come 90% from advertising, and while several advertisers have suspended their spending on the platform since its takeover.
UN urges Elon Musk to uphold human rights on Twitter
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Saturday urged the new owner of Twitter Elon Musk to ensure that these rights are respected on the social network.
“I urge you to ensure that human rights are central to the management of Twitter under your leadership,” Mr. Türk wrote in an open letter, where he said his “apprehension about our public place digital and Twitter’s role in it”.
“Respect for our shared human rights should act as safeguards for the use and evolution of the platform” and “like all businesses, Twitter needs to understand the harms associated with its platform and take steps to fix it,” he added.
In this sense, the information that Elon Musk has fired the entire Twitter team that was dedicated to human rights is “not, from my point of view, an encouraging start”, regretted Mr. Türk.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights, who rightly posted his open letter on Twitter, where he has some 25,000 followers, set out six fundamental principles, including freedom of expression, protection of privacy and guarantee of transparency.
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, took control of Twitter on October 28, after buying the social network from the bluebird for $44 billion. He immediately dissolved the board of directors, fired the leaders, before dismissing about half of the 7,500 employees.
France Media Agency