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☆ Twitter is already rolling out Elon Musk's divisive $7.99 blue check paid verification subscription
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Bethany Biron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

According to an updated description of the Twitter app in the Apple App store, a blue check mark will cost $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." "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. "Far too many legacy 'verified' checkmarks were handed out, often arbitrarily, so in reality they are *not* verified," Musk wrote.

☆ Days before the midterms, Twitter lays off employees who fight misinformation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Ben Collins | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Brandy-Zadrozny-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Musk has said the company won’t allow anyone back on Twitter who was previously banned for at least a few more weeks. One current and two former employees were also concerned about a planned product that would allow Twitter users to buy verification badges. “Twitter isn’t prepared for that scale,” said one Twitter employee who survived Friday’s layoffs and asked to remain nameless because they were not authorized to speak publicly about internal company projects. The Twitter employee said that, as of the layoffs, the plan was that “there’s not going to be any verification of ID” to acquire a verification badge. “Now they’ve taken the brakes off the car.”One laid-off Twitter employee told NBC News that “the only saving grace is that he changes his mind on things all the time.”“There were some incredibly talented people who didn’t deserve this,” said a current Twitter employee.

☆ 'I don't want to work with these clowns.' Inside the culture war that Elon Musk has unleashed at Twitter.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

With a project, you could see who initiated the work, who was the assignee, who was in the chain of command. They wanted to make Twitter a place to exchange ideas and observations that were funny, factual and engaging. Whenever I'm on Twitter, I always find something that makes me laugh, or learn something. It feels like that's what's happening. What's even more frightening is that I don't see any viable alternatives to Twitter right now.

Others have ground to a halt, sending companies back to technology that is less sci-fi, but can be deployed more quickly and cost-effectively. Some companies are satisfied their robots are doing the job. The perils of the outdoors are a big problem for delivery robots, in particular. Some people have also raised concerns that delivery robots could block wheelchair access on sidewalks or otherwise get in the way of humans, leading local authorities to limit or prohibit their use. Toronto, for example, last December banned delivery robots.

☆ Elon Musk wants Twitter users to pay to be verified. It could create a new set of headaches for the company
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The check indicated that Twitter had verified the accounts of artists, athletes, government officials and agencies and other public figures. Musk confirmed this week he’s working to launch an updated version of the company’s Twitter Blue subscription service in which any user can pay $8 per month to get or remain verified. But the move could disincentivize certain prominent accounts from being verified, making it harder for users to determine which are authentic. And many regular Twitter users who aren’t worried about being impersonated and don’t care about Twitter “clout” may also simply not care to shell out for a blue check. “I actually told him … that I think that $8 a month is highly problematic.”The proposed subscription update has been panned by several high-profile Twitter users, including author Stephen King and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez.

☆ Captain Marvel actor Robert Kazinsky pushed back against Twitter's new blue check mark fee by tweeting that 'verification is a public service'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kazinsky posted a Twitter thread Wednesday pushing back against Musk's proposed changes to verification. The actor shared personal experiences and argued that verification is a "public service." Right now, around 400,000 Twitter users claim a blue check mark, according to Forbes. Not everyone agrees however, that an amped-up version of Twitter Blue is the right way to combat fake or spam accounts. He added, "Verification is a public service, it is a good deed performed by companies who contribute very little good to the world in my opinion.

☆ Twitter could start charging for blue ticks next week, and Elon Musk doesn't want to hear what you think about it: Your feedback is appreciated, now pay $8'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Twitter could start charging for blue verification badges as early as next week, per Bloomberg. Twitter users who are already verified will have months to start paying for the status or lose it, the news outlet added. Other than charging for verification, Twitter also plans to open up its edit function to all Twitter users for free, Bloomberg reported. It's now available to Twitter Blue users who pay $4.99 a month. Twitter Blue is only available in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand right now.

☆ Elon Musk clarifies that Donald Trump and other banned accounts won't be allowed back on Twitter before the midterm elections, if at all
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Britney Nguyen | Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elon Musk said banned Twitter accounts will not be allowed back for "at least a few more weeks." This means that former president Donald Trump will not be on Twitter before the midterm elections. When podcast host Chris Stigall asked Trump about Twitter on Tuesday, Trump promoted Truth Social, saying he likes the way it works better. Trump had 35 million followers on Facebook, which suspended him but could lift the suspension as soon as January. Trump said Truth Social is smarter, and friendlier but also can be "very nasty, you know — especially if they get against you a little bit.

☆ Elon Musk put his foot down on Twitter's $8 blue tick fee, telling users they can keep complaining but the price won't change
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk said Twitter will introduce an $8 verification fee, no matter how much users complain. Musk has drawn criticism for plans to charge users to be verified on the site. This sparked controversy among some verified Twitter users who were unhappy at the news that they'd have to start paying for the blue tick. Musk is planning to overhaul Twitter Blue, the site's premium subscription service, with these features. The Verge reported on Sunday that Musk was aiming to charge $20 monthly for Blue, which is currently $4.99 per month.

☆ A Twitter employee shared a picture of his boss in a sleeping bag and mask on the office floor, illustrating Elon Musk's new hardcore work culture
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Twitter employee shared a photo appearing to show his boss asleep on the office floor. Insider previously reported that some staff have been asked to work 24/7 since Elon Musk's takeover. "When you need something from your boss at elon twitter," Evan Jones, a product manager at Twitter Spaces, tweeted at around 2:00 a.m. New York time Wednesday. Jones' Twitter page says he is based in New York, while Crawford's says she is based in Los Angeles. An internal message told Twitter staff working on changes to the company's verification process that "the expectation is literally to work 24/7 to get this out," Insider previously reported.

☆ Binance CEO was in the dark about Musk's Twitter U-turn: 'It's very hard to predict what Elon will do next'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Co-founder and CEO of Binance, Changpeng Zhao, speaks on stage during the opening night of Web Summit 2022. "It's very hard to predict what Elon will do next," Zhao, who goes by "CZ" online, told the audience on the opening night of Web Summit Tuesday. Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange, is now one of Twitter's equity backers, kicking in $500 million to help Musk buy the company. LISBON, Portugal — The boss of crypto exchange Binance says he wasn't privy to Elon Musk's thinking when the billionaire backed away from, and then revived, his takeover of Twitter. The protracted saga over Musk's purchase of Twitter drew to a close last month when Musk agreed to a final deal with the company.

☆ Twitter to deny Blue subscribers access to ad-free articles - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File PhotoNov 1 (Reuters) - Twitter Inc, which was acquired last week by billionaire Elon Musk, will no longer allow subscribers of its Blue service to access ad-free articles, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter. Twitter Blue was launched in June last year as the platform's first subscription service that offered exclusive access to premium features, including an option to edit tweets. The service allowed subscribers to read articles from some publishers without advertisements. The social media platform also made an edit button available to paid subscribers in the United States last month. Twitter is planning more changes to its Blue subscription plan that costs $4.99 per month, including making user verification a part of the paid service, according to media reports.

☆ Elon Musk lays out his ideas for Twitter's new verification system
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In this photo illustration a Twitter logo seen displayed on a smartphone screen with Elon Musk Twitter in the background in Athens, Greece on October 30, 2022. Elon Musk laid out a series of ideas Tuesday for a new user verification process for Twitter, which he recently acquired for $44 billion. In a thread of tweets, Musk criticized the current system, which gives a blue check mark, or verification, to notable users like politicians, members of the press, executives and other people and organizations. Musk said he will give "power to the people" by offering verification through Twitter Blue for $8 a month. The Tesla CEO also said Twitter Blue subscribers will be given a "paywall bypass" for publishers that are willing to work with the social media platform.

☆ Elon Musk tells Stephen King that Twitter needs to pay the bills somehow after the novelist said he'd quit the site if he was charged $20 for verification
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk said Twitter has bills to pay after Stephen King threatened to leave the site over a $20 verification fee. Musk suggested to King that verified Twitter users could be charged $8 a month. The billionaire made a suggestion to King that the Twitter verification fee could be $8 a month. A few Twitter users challenged King on his tweet, saying he was wealthy enough to afford a $20 verification fee. Musk's comments to King followed the widely reported claims that a fee for verified Twitter users could soon come into place.

Twitter’s new “Chief Twit” spent the weekend tweeting — and it’s still not much clearer what Elon Musk will do with his new company. He denied a report from The New York Times that he planned to make major layoffs Monday ahead of a date when many Twitter employees receive stock grants. Musk has surrounded himself with Silicon Valley veterans, some of whom have criticized Twitter’s moderation work. Later, he appeared to poke fun at his deleted tweet while also taking a swipe at The New York Times. “This is fake — I did *not* tweet out a link to The New York Times!” Musk wrote alongside a screenshot of the Times’ coverage of his deleted tweet.

☆ Elon Musk has dissolved Twitter's 9-person board of directors and become its sole director
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk has scrapped Twitter's board of directors. Musk had himself tried to join Twitter's board in the spring before clashing with then-CEO Parag Agrawal. When first outlining his plans for his ownership of Twitter, Musk said he would need to take the company private to make his desired changes. The same evening, Musk also ousted CFO Ned Segal, chief legal officer Vijaya Gadde, and general counsel Sean Edgett, sources told Insider. Musk had himself been set to join Twitter's board before he offered to buy the company, but u-turned after clashing with Agrawal over text.

It’s also unclear if some verified users may be exempt from paying the fee; many international organizations and charities, for example are verified on Twitter. The changes would update an existing paid Twitter feature known as “Twitter Blue, which currently costs $4.99 a month and is available in four countries including the United States, to include the verification feature. “The whole verification process is being revamped right now,” Musk tweeted on Sunday. “Interesting,” Musk tweeted in response to the poll. Even before the deal was completed, Musk suggested the possibility of tying verification to a paid subscription service.

☆ How to better your employee experience to avoid a staff of quiet quitters
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Slack With Insider Studios | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A September 2022 poll by Gallup found that "quiet quitters make up at least 50% of the US workforce." For some employers, the concept of quiet quitting might stoke fears of disengaged workers doing the bare minimum. Lead with empathyConsidering how employees' time should be prioritized will help you decide how your team needs to work together. Eliminate meeting fatigueMeeting fatigue is real, and at Slack, we believe there are better ways to communicate than back-to-back meetings. To streamline tasks and free up time for the work that's actually part of your job description, teams turn to Slack workflows.

CNN —Elon Musk on Sunday gave credence to a fringe conspiracy theory about the violent attack on Paul Pelosi. The new Twitter owner tweeted a link to an article full of baseless claims about Pelosi. Musk, who has 112 million followers on the platform he now owns, posted the baseless story about Pelosi in response to a tweet from Hilary Clinton at 8:15 am ET. He later deleted the tweet around 2 pm, but not before racking up more than 28,000 retweets and 100,000 likes. Linking to a Los Angeles Times story about Pelosi’s alleged attacker, Clinton wrote, “The Republican Party and its mouthpieces now regularly spread hate and deranged conspiracy theories.

☆ Elon Musk has fired Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal. From blunt text messages and clashes over bots to lawsuits and a poop emoji, here's a history of their relationship.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Musk & Agrawal appeared to first talk in MarchElon Musk. Susan Walsh/APTesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk started buying Twitter stock on an almost-daily basis in January. Messages between Musk and Agrawal were released in September as part of a lawsuit Twitter filed against Musk. Musk, Agrawal, and Twitter chair Bret Taylor met for a meal near San Jose on March 31. "Memorable for multiple reasons," Agrawal texted.

☆ Fact Check-Video shows actors wearing masks of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, for Madame Tussauds London
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Social media users are sharing videos that allegedly show Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. These videos are missing context as they are actors wearing masks of the prince and his wife, and do not actually show Prince Harry and Meghan. The promotional video that shows the actors in masks of Prince Harry and Meghan wearing the same clothing as in the Instagram video can be found on Madame Tussauds London’s Vimeo page (here). A YouTube account named “The Little Power Family” shared a similar video from a slightly different angle of the Madame Tussauds actors (youtu.be/7189A3fobzI?t=21). The video shows actors wearing masks to seem like Prince Harry and Meghan for an unveiling of live figures at Madame Tussauds London.

☆ Elon Musk’s Takeover of Twitter Is Complete. What’s Next?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Alyssa Lukpat | Joseph Pisani | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Elon Musk, who made most of his fortune from electric cars, completed his foray into social media Thursday with his $44 billion takeover of Twitter Inc. With one of the platform’s most prominent users now at the helm, Twitter is poised for sweeping changes. Mr. Musk is now responsible for addressing challenges that have long plagued Twitter, including content moderation and its advertising strategy. He also has said he wants to focus on areas important to him, like overhauling the company’s C-suite and eliminating spam bots.

☆ Trump applauds Musk's Twitter takeover, says the platform that banned him 'is now in sane hands'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Elon Musk, left, and Wendell P. Weeks, center, listen to President Donald Trump as he meets with business leaders at the White House on Monday January 23, 2017 in Washington, DC. Twitter's most famous banned user, former President Donald Trump, applauded the platform's new ownership by billionaire Elon Musk, who previously said he doesn't believe in permanent suspensions. Trump, for his part, said months ago that he would not return to the platform even if Musk reversed the ban. "Twitter must now work hard to rid itself of all of the bots and fake accounts that have hurt it so badly," Trump wrote on Friday. WATCH: Jan. 6 committee votes to subpoena former President Donald Trump

☆ With U.S. midterms ahead, Musk's Twitter takeover raises fear of misinformation wave
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Republicans say many social media platforms are biased against them, and numerous conservative Twitter accounts - including Republican politicians - on Friday welcomed Musk's takeover. Democrats fear that Trump supporters will promote far-right views or false claims of election fraud on Twitter if permitted. Since his ban, Trump has launched his own social media app, Truth Social, and has said he will not return to Twitter even if Musk reinstates him. Conservatives have accused the site of censoring their view points for political reasons, an allegation Twitter has denied. Rapper Kanye West, whose Twitter account was suspended for posting anti-Semitic remarks, appeared to be active again on Friday.

☆ Elon Musk is now officially Twitter's new owner, ending months of costly litigation
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Kali Hays | Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Twitter and Musk fought for months over his attempt to back out of the acquisition. A Delaware judge gave the two parties an October 28 deadline to come to a deal outside of court. Musk made a U-turn on the offer in October, after spending months trying to pull out of the agreement. Representatives for Twitter and Musk did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Twitter promptly sued him in Delaware Court of Chancer.

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