Elon Musk proposes selling Twitter 'blue tick' verification for $8 a month

Price would be adjusted for subscribers in poorer countries

Elon Musk's Twitter account, which has a blue tick. Reuters

Twitter's new owner Elon Musk on Tuesday said the platform would be offering an $8-per-month subscription model that would give users a blue tick, among other benefits.

The issue of the “blue checkmark” has been a contentious one that Mr Musk has voiced frustration over in the past.

Currently, Twitter sometimes places a blue tick next to a user's name to show that it is a genuine account. Verified users must provide proof of their identity or an official email address.

But many Twitter users argue the system is arbitrary, with accounts with tens of thousands of followers being denied the cherished tick while other, often much smaller accounts get the blue stamp of approval.

In a series of tweets, Mr Musk, the world's richest man, decried the current practice as a “lords and peasants” system.

He said subscribers to the new system would get benefits beyond the tick mark, including fewer advertisements and the ability to post long video and audio.

Mr Musk also said the price would be adjusted by country, “proportionate to purchasing power parity”.

Mr Musk's comments come as he seeks to increase revenue for Twitter, which cost him $44 billion.

Twitter last year launched its first subscription service, Twitter Blue, which offers users access to premium features and editing tweets.

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