Staff
In 2021, Twitter introduced the subscription service, “Twitter Blue.” Priced at $2.99 per month, the service offered subscribers an array of premium features like the ability to undo tweets, read ad-free articles, and customize their app icons and was met with mixed reviews.
Recently the company announced that it will move forward with the plan of charging new users $1 a year to access key features including the ability to tweet, reply, and quote the post of others.
The program will roll out in New Zealand and the Phillipines in what is being viewed by some in the business world as one of the most significant changes to the social media platform.
“Starting today, we’re testing a new program (Not A Bot) in New Zealand and the Philippines. New, unverified accounts will be required to sign up for a $1 annual subscription to be able to post & interact with other posts,” the company said in a social media post. “Within this test, existing users are not affected. This new test was developed to bolster our already successful efforts to reduce spam, manipulation of our platform and bot activity, while balancing platform accessibility with the small fee amount. It is not a profit driver.”
There is no word on when and if the program will expand to other countries.
News of plans to charge users for basic services has been mixed. While some users appreciate the added features that come with a Twitter Blue subscription, such as the ability to undo tweets and read ad-free articles, others are concerned about the potential of Twitter eventually charging its users for basic functionalities, such as posting tweets that have always been free.