San Francisco, CA - The city of San Francisco has rejected a new plan proposed by billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of Twitter, Elon Musk. The proposal aimed to remove blue checkmarks from users who do not subscribe to a monthly fee for the verification service.
The decision was made after the city determined that Twitter Blue does not provide person-level verification as a service. In response, several media organizations including The New York Times, CNN, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post have also said they would not pay Twitter for this feature.
Musk had referred to his plan as "glorious," but it seems his idea has been met with resistance. According to reports, the verification service for individuals costs $8 per month for web users and $11 per month on iPhone and iPad devices.
While many people appreciate having verified accounts on social media platforms like Twitter, some argue that charging users is unfair. Critics say that paying for such features goes against the fundamental principles of social media being free and open platforms.
Twitter verifies accounts using a blue checkmark badge which indicates authenticity or credibility of an account holder's identity. This helps in building trust among followers who can be confident about the content shared by verified accounts.
Despite its benefits though, there are those who argue that verification should be free across all platforms without any additional fees attached. As such, it remains unclear whether Musk's proposal will ever come into effect or if he will reconsider his stance on charging fees for verified accounts.
For now however, San Francisco residents can rest easy knowing their city government is working hard to ensure fair practices in social media use while upholding user privacy rights at all times.