According to a media report, software developers at Twitter should immediately start a new function – otherwise they face termination. Users would then have to pay in the future if they wanted proof of authenticity for their account. The new network boss Musk is keeping a low profile, but urgently needs money.
According to media reports, tech billionaire Elon Musk wants to earn money by verifying users after the expensive Twitter takeover. Until now, the icons with a check mark, which guarantee the authenticity of the Twitter profile, are available for free. They are mainly available to celebrities, companies, as well as users with many followers such as politicians or journalists.
The technology blogs "Platformer" and "The Verge" reported that the verification check mark should in future only be available for customers of the Twitter Blue subscription offer. It currently costs $4.99 per month. "The Verge" also wrote, citing informed people and internal communication, that the verification should be part of a new, more expensive Blue version. Twitter wants to charge $19.99 a month for this. Software developers were given a deadline of November 7th to start the function - or they would be fired.
Musk himself only wrote on Twitter that the verification process is currently being revised. He had paid around $44 billion. The money came partly from sales of his shares in the electric car manufacturer Tesla - but also from contributions from investors and loans that have to be serviced. Twitter was recently in the red.
The company has been looking for savings for some time and is apparently planning extensive layoffs. It is expected that both software engineers and other employees will be affected by the dismantling, an insider said. The extent of the job cuts is still unclear. According to its own information, Twitter employs around 7,500 people.
