After taking control, Elon Musk announced a major shift: the social network would keep promoting its paid tier, Twitter Blue, in a bid to tap into new revenue streams. The plan has not proven easy to execute and is facing significant headwinds.
If a Twitter account carries the blue verification check, that badge will disappear on Saturday, April 1. The only way to retain it is to subscribe for a monthly fee of 11 euros. Under Musk’s leadership, the platform shifted away from using verification to distinguish real users from fake ones and treated the badge more as a status symbol that could be bought. As of mid-April, the platform began prioritizing messages from paying subscribers over non-subscribers.
Musk defended the decision, arguing that it represented the only practical way to manage platform scale and reduce artificial amplification, a problem he described as artificial intelligence systems interfering with the network through automatically generated content. Yet for many ordinary users, the move feels like a penalty on regular engagement while elevating the prominence of paying accounts, which has left some observers skeptical about the intended benefits.
Musk announces he will only recommend verified Twitter accounts
In a broader context, the shift raises questions about how networks balance openness with revenue strategies. The veracity and reach of content, the trust users place in verification, and the implications for brand safety are all part of the ongoing debate. The new model appears to privilege a small subset of users who are willing to pay, potentially reshaping the dynamics of influence on the platform. The transition also prompts questions about accessibility for creators, journalists, and everyday users who may rely on the platform for information and connection.
Data emerging from industry observers suggest a substantial gap between the number of anticipated paying subscribers and the overall user base. Independent researchers have estimated that the paying cohort is a fraction of a percent of daily users. While subscriptions may provide steadier revenue, they also raise concerns about fairness and the accessibility of a social space that should be open to broad participation. The conversation surrounding these numbers continues to unfold as more metrics become available and as the policy landscape evolves. A cautious approach from advertisers and content creators appears prudent as the platform experiments with monetization models. Marked citations to independent research indicate that the observed subscription levels are significantly smaller than some early projections and reflect a complex mix of user behavior and platform incentives.
According to analyses by independent researchers, much of the paying cohort consists of highly active users with varying follower counts. In some cases, a sizable share of subscribers has only a small audience, which raises questions about the reach and value of the paid tier for broader engagement. These findings are often reported by digital media outlets that track platform changes and publish methodological notes when possible. While the exact numbers remain subject to verification, the trend points to a calculated risk: monetization through paid verification may not immediately translate into wide-scale engagement, though it could establish a more predictable revenue stream for the company.
In summary, the shift to a paid verification model and a content ranking that favors paying subscribers signals a fundamental recalibration of what Twitter aims to be. If revenue growth from subscriptions proves sustainable, the platform may continue refining the thresholds and criteria for verification. Critics warn that the model could deepen inequality among users and erode the sense of a connected, open community. Proponents argue that it offers a path to a more controllable, accountable space where paid users contribute to the platform’s operational costs. The coming months will reveal how these tensions are resolved and what it means for the broader social media landscape.