Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 21, 2026

Twitter is already rolling out Elon Musk's divisive $7.99 blue check paid verification subscription

Twitter is already rolling out Elon Musk's divisive $7.99 blue check paid verification subscription

A new description of the Twitter app appeared on the Apple app store on Saturday, which also includes longer videos and priority ranking for posts.
Twitter appears to already be rolling out Elon Musk's controversial Twitter blue check verification subscription for $7.99.

According to an updated description of the Twitter app that appeared on the Apple App store Saturday afternoon, the company is adding new features to Twitter Blue "starting today." The post, which was first spotted by CNBC producer Steve Kopack, states that Twitter Blue with verification is currently available in iOS in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.

"Starting today, we're adding great new features to Twitter Blue, and have more on the way soon," the app description reads. "Get Twitter Blue for $7.99/month if you sign up now. Blue checkmark: Power to the people: Your account will get a blue checkmark, just like the celebrities, companies, and politicians you already follow."

As of Saturday afternoon, existing verified users appeared to still have blue checks. Twitter did not immediately respond to Insider's request to comment. In a tweet, Musk wrote that the subscription will soon be available globally.

"As soon as we confirm it's working well in the initial set of countries and we have the translation work done, it will roll out worldwide," Musk wrote.

Musk's divisive paid subscription model, which he proposed shortly after taking over Twitter earlier this week, has been the subject of criticism and concern for many, including celebrities like Lynda Carter and Josh Gad and major media organizations.

The updated Twitter app description goes on to state that a variety of new features will be coming soon, including a reduced number of ads and "much better ones," the ability to post longer videos, and "priority ranking for quality content" that will allow posts to get boosted in "ranking in replies, mentions, and search."

"This helps lower the visibility of scams, spam, and bots," the post reads.

In a tweet on Saturday, Musk responded to critical comments about the paid subscription model from Dogecoin creator Shibetoshi Nakamoto, writing that the goal is to reduce the number of verified accounts he feels were given out "arbitrarily."

"Far too many legacy 'verified' checkmarks were handed out, often arbitrarily, so in reality they are *not* verified," Musk wrote. "You can buy as many as you want right now with a Google search. Piggybacking off payment system plus Apple/Android is a much better way to ensure verification."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez Sign Prenup Protecting Their Separate Fortunes
Google Launches Pixel 11 With Gemini AI at the Center of Its Hardware Strategy
Turkish Parliament Passes Landmark Bill Granting Conditional Amnesty to Disarmed PKK Members
Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi’s Father and Longtime Agent, Dies at 68
AI’s Next Bottleneck Is Power, Not Just Nvidia Chips
Meta Raises AI Spending Target to as Much as $145bn Despite Pressure Over Returns
Joe Biden’s Cancer Has Spread Beyond His Bones, Hunter Biden Says
Why 2027 Could Be a Strong Year for Stocks—and Why the Forecast Is Fragile
Why Markets May Look Quiet in August After Big Tech Earnings
Trump’s Top General Seeks an Exit Strategy From Iran War, Report Says
Brock Lesnar Retires From Wrestling, Closing a Career of Rare Athletic Range and Lasting Controversy
UFO: Pentagon Releases Video of Unidentified Object Tracked Over Middle East
Ukraine Tells Senate Republicans Its Drone War Offers a Blueprint for America
Weight-Loss Drug Boom Tests the Limits of Prescription Advertising Rules
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Sign Mutual-Defence Pact
AI Is Remaking the US Economy, From GDP Growth to iPhone Prices
A SpaceX Rocket Is About to Crash Into the Moon — and Scientists Hope to Watch
Modern Slavery Decisions Broaden the Al Fayed Inquiry’s Frame
FIFA’s Retreat Leaves a Larger Question Over Who Guards the Game
Finland Deploys Commercial-Scale Thermal Batteries Using Crushed Rock to Store Renewable Grid Energy
Valued at $109 Million: F-35B Fighter Jet Crashes in Southern California
US Says It Has Carried Out Heavy Strikes on Iran After Attempted Attacks on Its Forces
Over 24 Hours in the Air: Qantas Airbus Completes Record-Breaking Test Flight
Arrest Warrant Issued in Lebanon for Tycoon Spotted Meeting Netanyahu in Washington
Trump says Israel ‘would not survive’ without US
Nvidia Reportedly Takes Vast Texas Data-Centre Lease to Underwrite AI Expansion
FIFA’s Private-Investment Plan for World Cup Rights Draws European Revolt
Following OpenAI's Cyberattack: 'Most Companies Still Do Not Understand What Is Coming'
OpenAI Sued After ChatGPT Allegedly Discouraged Emergency Care Before Near-Fatal Embolism
Miliband Sets Climate and International Law at Centre of UK Diplomacy
Pentagon Discloses Nearly 100 US Troop Injuries During Renewed Iran Fighting
Trump Readies New Tariffs as Temporary Global Levy Nears Expiry
High Prices Push Coffee Drinkers Toward Whole Beans and Home Brewing
Trump Draws Boos and Podium Scrutiny at Spain’s World Cup Triumph
Spain Defeats Argentina in Extra Time to Win Second World Cup
Turkey Explores S-400 Transfer to UAE in Bid to Rejoin F-35 Program
US Retaliates Against Iran After Two American Troops Killed in Jordan
Proposed U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Pact Could Permit Limited Uranium Enrichment Under International Safeguards
Why Kentucky Fried Chicken Became KFC—and Why the False Explanations Persist
Iran Claims It Destroyed Bahrain’s Main Artificial Intelligence Center in Missile and Drone Strike
Ukrainian Drones Strike Wildberries Warehouses Deep Inside Russia
Reported CIA Mission Helped Clear the UAE’s Path to Advanced US AI Chips
Artificial Intelligence Capital Fuels Markets While Governments and Regulators Face Mounting Strategic Tests
China’s Moonshot’s Kimi K3 Narrows the Gap With Anthropic Through Scale, Openness and Lower Cost
Gold and Cash Seizure Puts Indonesia’s Senior Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Under Investigation
The Ledger Will Not Trust on Faith
Passenger Bound for Germany Refused to Sit Beside a Woman on a Plane — Then Slapped a Flight Attendant
Ukraine’s Leadership Rift Spills Into the Streets as Protesters Target Army Chief
The Ten World Cup Finals That Defined Football History
Smartphones Are Getting More Expensive, Sales Are Collapsing, and Even Apple Admits: "Prices Will Rise"
×