Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he is ready to discuss with Twitter’s new owner, Ilon Musk, the abolition of the $8 monthly fee for a verification tick. “We could have diplomatic talks,” Erdogan joked, responding to a reporter’s question. Today, the verification service is free for users of the social network
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is ready to negotiate with businessman Ilon Musk, who has become the new owner of the social network Twitter (the social network is blocked in Russia), so that he would give up the introduction of a $8 fee for the verification of accounts – a blue tick. The head of state himself said this in an interview with Turkish ATV, Reuters reports.
“We could have diplomatic negotiations,” Erdogan joked, responding to a related question from a journalist.
SpaceX and Tesla owner Musk became the new owner of Twitter last week. After the deal, Bloomberg reported that he wants to cancel the “lifetime” blocking of accounts on the social network and allow previously blocked users to return to the social network.
In addition, Musk suggested introducing a monthly fee of $8 for verified users for having a badge confirming verification. A blue checkmark next to a user’s name on Twitter means that the social network has verified that the account belongs to a specific person and the account is genuine. “To receive this icon, the account must be authentic, meaningful and active,” Twitter’s official website says.
According to the billionaire, the subscription will allow users to keep the blue tick, post long-form videos and audio, privilege in search, and cut the number of ads in half. The feature is free today.
Musk’s proposal was criticized by most users, including writer Stephen King. He said that he would not pay for verification and in this case he would leave Twitter.
