Twitter has entered a new phase under Elon Musk. It’s been a chaotic start, but it is still unknown what the future holds for the platform. AP
Amid all the chaos at Twitter since Elon Musk’s takeover — mass firings of employees, introducing and then killing the grey label and other sweeping changes — the social network has started rolling out its ‘Blue’ service to Indian users.
The platform was abuzz with several users in the country talking about receiving a prompt asking them to subscribe to Twitter Blue.
The rollout of the revamped and much talked about Twitter Blue in India came a day after it introduced the same in the United States, United Kingdom and a few other countries a day earlier.
From pricing to the new changes — here’s a look at what the Twitter Blue service will get you in India.
How much will Twitter Blue cost?
Users in India who want the ‘blue tick’ on the platform and the services that come with it will have to shell out Rs 719 per month. Incidentally, Twitter Blue costs $8 in the US, which translates to Rs 644 at the time of publishing this report.
This means that Indian users will be paying an additional Rs 75 per month compared to users in the West.
Earlier when talking about the paid Twitter Blue service, billionaire Elon Musk had said that the company would factor in price purchase parity (PPP) — the rate at which the currency of one country would have to be converted into that of another country to buy the same amount of goods and services in each country.
Twitter’s current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bullshit.
Power to the people! Blue for $8/month.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 1, 2022
Some users have noted that Musk hasn’t adhered to the price purchase parity he mentioned and have expressed their disappointment on the platform. As per PPP estimates, the subscription was expected to be around Rs 185 per month.
Twitter Blue in India is more costlier than US. 🥲
Twitter Blue US 💵 $8 ~ ₹648 / month
Twitter Blue India 💵 ₹719 per month— Abhishek Yadav (@yabhishekhd) November 10, 2022
Will Twitter Blue be available to all?
Currently, Twitter has rolled out the service only to iPhone users in the country. Android users will have to wait a while until they can access this feature.
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What are the features of Twitter Blue?
Twitter Blue, which has become contentious in recent times, is a subscription that grants you exclusive access to premium features.
Those who subscribe to Twitter Blue will get free — and without undergoing any verification — the Blue Tick of verification, considered the gold standard on the platform.
Incidentally, the social platform is currently distinguishing users who went through the verification process as compared to those who are paying for it. If the user was part of the prior verification system, their account will have a message that reads: ‘This account is verified because it’s notable in government, news, entertainment, or another designated category.’
Those who are paying for their Blue Tick have a message: ‘This account is verified because it’s subscribed to Twitter Blue.’
Subscribers will also get access to other features such as priority in replies, searches and mentions. Twitter Blue users will be able to post longer audio and video files on the platform. The company will also show fewer ads, which will be even more relevant to users.
In the days to come, Blue subscribers will also get access to paid articles from publications that work with the company, according to Elon Musk.
With inputs from agencies
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