45% Unlikely To Subscribe to Twitter’s Blue Tick

Twitter’s recent decision to launch a subscription-based blue tick verification program has sparked a debate among users about the impact of technology on social media. The platform’s decision to monetize its verification process is expected to increase revenue, but it has raised concerns about the inability to distinguish genuine accounts from impersonators.

The subscription fee is not the same for all organizations. Individual users pay an $8 monthly fee, while organizations seeking verification badges must pay $1,000 per month for a gold verification tick, plus an additional $50 per month for each affiliate or employee account. As a result, a number of high-profile organizations, celebrities, and government agencies have refused to pay for the verification badge.

According to an internal Twitter document, 10,000 of the most-followed organizations on Twitter will be exempt from this rule. Those who pay for the monthly subscription will also gain access to new features such as longer tweets, the ability to edit posts, higher weighting in the prioritization algorithm, and blue check marks.

Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter, has previously criticized the verification program, calling it a “lords and peasants” system. Some users who oppose the move have expressed similar sentiments, claiming that it will lead to an increase in fraudulent activity.

Hence, Real Research, an online survey app, launched a survey on Twitter’s new Blue Tick monthly subscription plan to gauge public perceptions on Twitter’s blue tick subscription.

Key Points:

• Twitter should offer a free verification option, say 16.63%.
• 51% agree that a paid subscription service will serve the purpose of verification.
• 39.4% are likely to subscribe to Twitter’s blue tick subscription in the future.

Twitter’s Verification Program

Twitter’s blue tick subscription fee has elicited many opinions among Twitter users. While some believe it is too expensive, others see it as necessary to maintain the integrity of the verified badge. Some feel that the fee could be a source of revenue for Twitter and help the platform improve.

According to an announcement, organizations and individuals seeking verification badges on Twitter will now have to pay a monthly fee of $1000 for a gold verification tick and $8 monthly for a blue one. This decision has been met with varying opinions from the Twitter community.

One group, comprising 16.63% of respondents, feels that Twitter should offer a free verification option. They believe that access to social media verification should not be a privilege reserved for those who can afford it.

Another group, accounting for 15.87% of those surveyed, thinks the fee is too high. They argue that few individuals or organizations can afford such a high cost on a monthly basis, which could result in a lack of diversity in verified accounts.

For some, the fee could be a deterrent. According to 14.62% of respondents, a high price for a Twitter badge could make its acquisition unappealing, or users may prefer to invest their money elsewhere, such as in advertising.

Verification badges are becoming less valuable to 13.13% of those surveyed due to the high cost. They argue that verification is starting to lose its value and prestige as a result of the high cost.

On the other hand, some users believe that the fee could be a good source of revenue for Twitter. This view is shared by 12.22% of those surveyed, who argue that this fee structure will help Twitter generate revenue, which could help the platform improve and innovate.

Read Also: Survey on Twitter’s Blue Check Confusion Post-Musk’s Takeover

Organizations and Celebrities Refuse To Pay

The decision made by The New York Times, as well as several other organizations, celebrities, and government bodies, including the White House, not to pay for the tick has sparked a debate among the public. The poll results show that almost 30% (29.96%) of respondents believe the tick should be free for everyone and no one should have to pay for it, while 24.86% agree with their decision and think it sets a good precedent.

On the other hand, almost 19% (18.72%) disagree with their decision and think they should pay for the tick. Notably, 26.46% remained neutral on this matter.

Exploring the Effectiveness of Paid Subscription Services for Verification

The concept of verification has been widely used to ensure the authenticity of users across various platforms. Initially, it was primarily used to verify the identity of individuals to ensure the legitimacy of their accounts. However, as the need for reliable and secure online environments grew, the focus on verification evolved to become more refined and specific.

One question that arises is whether a paid subscription service can serve the purpose of verification. While some people firmly believe that it can, others are skeptical about its efficacy in that regard. According to recent data, 27.82% somewhat agree, and 23.18% strongly agree that a paid subscription service can effectively serve the purpose of verification.

On the other hand, a significant number of people, 23.96% somewhat disagree, and 13.01% strongly disagree with this notion. Their rationale behind this perspective remains to be explored. However, it can be inferred that they believe that a subscription alone cannot guarantee the authenticity of all users.

Twitter Users Demand Change to Verification System

Elon Musk’s tweet, “Twitter’s current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bullshit. Power to the people! Blue for $8/month,” implying that Twitter’s verification served as a differentiation between those verified and those not. We asked our respondents if they agreed with Musk’s statement.

Results revealed that a majority (76.28%) agree with the statement, while 7% disagree. Besides, 11.64% of respondents remained neutral and 5.08% were unsure.

Read Also: 47% Say It Is Highly Possible for Apple To Remove Twitter From Its App Store

Potential Disadvantages of Twitter’s Blue Tick Subscription

According to Figure 2, 21.22% stated the lack of authenticity and transparency as a major disadvantage. Followed by an increase in imposters and impersonation (20.81%), increased chances of forgery and fraud (20.17%), and higher chances of inaccurate information (19.26%).

Furthermore, when the respondents were asked about the effect of Twitter’s blue tick subscription on Twitter’s growth, 21.65% stated that there would be some decrease in Twitter’s growth, and similarly, 21.53% stated a significant decrease in Twitter’s growth.

On the other hand, while 17.31% stated there would be some increase in Twitter’s growth, 14.73% stated that there would be a significant increase in Twitter’s growth.

Lastly, the poll asked the respondents if they would subscribe to Twitter’s blue tick subscription in the future. A majority of (45.63%) were unlikely to subscribe to Twitter’s blue tick, with 23.02% being somewhat unlikely and 22.61% highly unlikely.

In comparison, 39.4% of the surveyees responded that they were likely to subscribe (19.9% somewhat likely, while 19.5% highly likely), with 19.9% being somewhat likely and 19.5% being highly likely.