Hey, do you want to sign-up for Twitter Blue and get access to features like monetization and tweet editing, while also avoiding the negative association of actually having a blue tick appear alongside your username in the app?
Soon you’ll be able to do just that, while Twitter’s also working on new options that would enable users to hide their tweet likes, as well as the list of who they subscribe to in the app.
Which all seem like subtle criticisms of its own offerings - but nevertheless, they could be of value for all of those Twitter lurkers who don’t necessarily want to be judged for their interests.
First off, on hiding your checkmark – Twitter’s been developing this for some time, with Twitter Blue subscribers soon set to get access to a new toggle that will mask their blue tick.
As you can see in this image, posted by app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, Twitter’s blue tick toggle will also include a warning that some actions may still reveal that you’re paying for the app – like posting longer tweets, or using its text editing tools – while some other Blue functions may not be available to you if you deactivate the marker.
Why would you want to do this? Wasn’t the blue checkmark the ultimate symbol of the anointed elite, which Elon freed for all users, effectively returning ‘power to the people’, as he repeatedly proclaimed?
Evidently, the negative sentiment around the marker has necessitated this step - so people will still be able to give their support to Twitter 2.0, via monthly cash injection, without being concerned that they’ll also be tagged as an Elon Stan in the app.
I don’t know, it seems very confusing. Elon’s original plan was that people would be so keen to buy a blue tick that they’d pay $8 per month for it, but now, Twitter wants to let those who do have it, hide it?
Given that it’s in development, there must be demand for such, and based on these latest insights, Twitter does look close to launch on this element.
On another front, Twitter’s also looking to give users control over whether their Likes and subscriptions are displayed in the app.
As you can see in this image, shared by T(w)itter Daily News, the new toggles will enable you to hide your likes tab, which will also include retracting that data from Twitter’s API feed, while you’ll also be able to keep your subscriptions private, so you can sign-up to follow whatever takes your interest, without being judged for such.
Which could be a boon for adult entertainers in the app, and those looking to share NSFW content with their subscribers. That might actually be a valuable area of growth, and if Twitter can capitalize on this, it could compete with other platforms like OnlyFans for creator monetization.
I mean, that’s probably not going to help in its bid to win back advertisers, and highlight brand safety (worth noting, too, that Twitter actually considered this in the past, but abandoned it because it couldn't police harmful sexual content). But maybe this is another consideration.
In this sense, hiding likes and subscriptions makes sense, as people can then feel more free to engage with content that might be otherwise held against them - but hiding the blue tick just seems so defeatist. Like, we know that this can be a negative, but pay us $8 per month for it anyway.
I don’t know, it seems like the Twitter 2.0 team misjudged this element, and given that only 0.3% of Twitter users have signed up to Twitter Blue, it’s not a huge consideration either way.
