Twitter set to relaunch subscription service with bad news for Apple users
San Francisco, California - Social media platform Twitter will relaunch its subscription service "Twitter Blue" on Monday at a higher price for Apple users.
The subscription will cost $8 per month to purchase on the web or $11 per month via the iOS App Store.
"We're relaunching @TwitterBlue on Monday – subscribe on web for $8/month or on iOS for $11/month to get access to subscriber-only features, including the blue checkmark," the social media company said in a tweet on Saturday.
Twitter did not explain why Apple users are being charged more than others on the web, but it is reportedly looking for ways to offset fees charged in the App Store.
The company said users could subscribe to the revamped service that will allow subscribers to edit tweets, upload 1080p videos, and get a blue checkmark, after the account has been reviewed.
The blue checkmark was originally given to companies, celebrities, government entities, and journalists verified by the platform.
Twitter said on Saturday that it will begin replacing that "official" label with a gold checkmark for businesses, and later in the week a grey checkmark for government and multilateral accounts.
According to Twitter, subscribers will be able to change their handle, display name, or profile photo, but if they do, they'll temporarily lose the blue checkmark until their account is reviewed again.
Elon Musk was forced to remove Twitter Blue after wave of fake accounts
New owner Elon Musk had launched Twitter Blue last month, but pulled the feature after a wave of fake verified accounts flooded the platform.
After taking Twitter private in a $44-billion acquisition in October, Musk fired chief executive Parag Agrawal and chief financial officer Ned Segal, along with certain other key executives, and also cut nearly half of its employees and many of its contractors.
At the beginning of 2022, Twitter had around 7,500 employees.
Cover photo: REUTERS