Elon Musk Launches Twitter's Paid Verification Service

Elon Musk, who officially became the new owner of Twitter last month, has been talking about making some significant changes to the social media site. On Sunday (November 6), one of the most anticipated updates went live, with the South African-born multihyphenate charging users $7.99 per month to join Twitter Blue.

“Get Twitter Blue if you sign up now,” the company encouraged account holders in a statement shared earlier today. “Blue checkmark: Power to the people. Your account will get a blue checkmark, just like the celebrities, companies, and politicians you follow.”

Musk took the opportunity to thank those who have joined him in the "battle against the bots," which he has long claimed are rampant on the platform. "We'll reward you with half the ads and make them twice as relevant," he promised potential Twitter Blue users.

Other advantages of joining the ever-expanding list of verified subscribers include the ability to post longer videos and receive priority ranking in replies, mentions, and searches across the website.

Workers have since filed a class action lawsuit in an attempt to save their jobs, claiming that their new boss gave them insufficient notice, which violates federal and California state law.

Musk responded by providing laid-off employees with three months' severance pay, which he claims is "50% more than legally required."

Will you subscribe to Elon Musk's Twitter Blue service? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below, and check back with Upstate Aesthetic later for more pop culture news updates.