Twitter Said to Discontinue Access to Ad-Free Articles for Twitter Blue Subscribers

Twitter, which was acquired last week by billionaire Elon Musk, will no longer allow subscribers of its Blue service to access ad-free articles, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Twitter Blue was launched in June last year as the platform's first subscription service that offered exclusive access to premium features, including an option to edit tweets.

The service allowed subscribers to read articles from some publishers without advertisements. The social media platform also made an edit button available to paid subscribers in the US last month.

Twitter is planning more changes to its Blue subscription plan that costs $4.99 (roughly Rs. 410) per month, including making user verification a part of the paid service, according to media reports.

Musk on Tuesday in a reply to author Stephen King asked if $8 (roughly Rs. 660) was an amount he would pay for being a verified user, adding that charging a fee was the only way to "defeat the bots & trolls".

Twitter did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

On Tuesday, Elon Musk announced that Twitter will charge $8 a month for its Blue service, which includes its sought-after "verified" badge, new boss Elon Musk said on Tuesday as he seeks to boost subscriptions and make the social media network less reliant on ads.

A blue check mark next to a person's user name on the social media platform means Twitter has confirmed that the account belongs to the person or company claiming it. Twitter is currently free for most users.

Since the takeover, Musk has moved quickly to put his stamp on the company, firing its previous chief and other top officials.

He said on Tuesday subscribers with blue check marks would get priority in replies, mentions and search and would be able to post longer videos and audios. Subscribers would see half as many ads, he added.

© Thomson Reuters 2022