It’s Twitter that benefits from millions of users being able to feel certain that the “Stephen King” with 7 million followers on Twitter is really theStephen King. It’s Twitter that benefits from Nate Silver engaging with users and tweeting analysis. Popular tweeters aren’t getting paid to tweet. And now Elon Musk thinks they should pay to tweet?
They are not really paying to tweet, they can still tweet without paying the subscription.
Gruber hit the nail on the head on Twitter’s relationship with popular tweeters.
Creators get paid on YouTube for creating content. Popular tweeters are not paid for creating content on Twitter. They benefit from being visible and able to connect and engage with people. Anyone who uses Twitter enjoys this benefit. It is why people use Twitter.
Verifying accounts helps Twitter to create a trusted community and prevent people from impersonating well-known figures. It also protects these figures from imposters tarnishing their reputation. It is a win-win that should have no value attached to it.
If paying means getting the priority for the verification process instead of waiting for a long queue, it makes sense only if it is a one-time charge. Paying to get the badge without a verification process would break the existing understanding of what being verified means.
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