Musk tells Twitter’s blue-tick users to ‘pay up’ – but will it work?

High-profile users deliver value to the platform, says James Moore – so maybe Musk should pay them instead

The new owner is proposing a fundamental change to Twitter’s business model (Reuters)

Elon Musk’s plan for Twitter’s blue tick – the symbol denoting verified accounts for journalists, celebrities and high-profile individuals and organisations – has received a big red “X” from many users.

When a $20 (£17) monthly fee for having one was floated by Musk, horror writer Stephen King suggested he’d be off.

“$20 a month to keep my blue check? F*** that, they should pay me. If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron,” he tweeted.