Twitter will reportedly no longer let subscribers to its Twitter Blue access ad-free articles from publishers, part of a series of sweeping changes under new owner Elon Musk.
The Wall Street Journal reported on the move Tuesday (Nov. 1), citing people familiar with the matter. Launched last year, Twitter Blue gives subscribers premium features, like the ability to undo tweets and access ad-free news articles.
Twitter representatives were not immediately available for comment Tuesday.
Earlier this week, PYMNTS reported that Twitter raised the subscription price for the Twitter Blue plan from $4.99 to $19.99. The company is also considering a plan to give verified users — the people with blue checkmarks by their name — 90 days to subscribe or lose their status.
“The whole verification process is being revamped right now,” Musk tweeted this weekend. On Tuesday, he explained his rationale in exchange with Stephen King after the horror author indicated he’d leave the platform before he’d pay $20 for verification.
“We need to pay the bills somehow!” replied Musk. “Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers. How about $8?”
The news comes one day after Musk dissolved Twitter’s board, becoming sole director of the company he purchased for $44 billion.
Read more: Musk Dissolves Twitter Board and Is Company’s Only Director
The move was disclosed in a broad Securities and Exchange Commission filing, which also added new details on how Twitter is repaying debt under a revolving credit agreement.
According to the filing, “the following persons, who were directors of Twitter prior to the effective time of the Merger, are no longer directors of Twitter: Bret Taylor, Parag Agrawal, Omid Kordestani, David Rosenblatt, Martha Lane Fox, Patrick Pichette, Egon Durban, Fei-Fei Li and Mimi Alemayehou.”
Twitter employees are also bracing for massive layoffs in the coming weeks. The platform’s workers were due to receive stock grants on Nov. 1, which constitute part of their pay, and would be afforded to them in the event that an employee is laid off after that date.
We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors.
Learn More