Twitter relaunching subscriber service after debacle

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Category: Business

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. entity / ˈɛn tɪ ti / (n.) – something that exists independently from other things and has its own identity
    Example:

    Even though these churches are separate entities, they are working together to help people during calamities.


  2. verify / ˈvɛr əˌfaɪ / (v.) – to prove that something is true or correct
    Example:

    The pub asked for my ID to verify my age.


  3. inundate / ˈɪn ənˌdeɪt / (v.) – to cause something to receive or take too much at once that it becomes difficult to handle
    Example:

    The airline was inundated with complaints due to several delayed flights.


  4. impersonate / ɪmˈpɜr səˌneɪt / (v.) – to trick other people by pretending to be another person
    Example:

    The guy who impersonated a security guard to enter the building was caught.


  5. suspend / səˈspɛnd / (v.) – to stop something, either for a short or long time
    Example:

    Classes are suspended due to the typhoon.


Article

Read the text below.

Twitter has once again launched its premium service, a month after a previous attempt failed.


The social media platform now lets users buy subscriptions to Twitter Blue to get a blue check mark and access special features.


The company owned by billionaire Elon Musk has also started granting a new gold-colored check mark to businesses on the platform. The gold label has appeared on the account profiles for Coca-Cola, Nike, Google and dozens of other big corporations.


“The gold checkmark indicates that the account is an official business account through Twitter Blue for Business,” the company says on a support web page.


Twitter’s blue check mark was originally given to companies, celebrities, government entities and journalists verified by the platform. After Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion in October 2022, he launched a service granting blue checks to anyone willing to pay $8 a month. But it was inundated by imposter accounts, including those impersonating Nintendo, pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Musk’s businesses Tesla and SpaceX, so Twitter suspended the service days after its launch.


The relaunched service costs $8 a month for web users and $11 a month for iPhone and iPad users. San Francisco-based Twitter says subscribers will see fewer ads, be able to post longer videos and have their tweets featured more prominently. Twitter’s website doesn’t say if business accounts must pay extra for the gold label or if it is granted automatically.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • The gold check mark means that the account belongs to a company or organization. What do you think Twitter should consider when granting the gold check mark to businesses (ex. number of followers, how long an account has been on Twitter)? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, why do a lot of Twitter or other social media platform users think that the blue and gold check marks are important? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • Before Twitter was bought by Elon Musk, the blue check mark was used to mark only the accounts of popular politicians, celebrities, and activists. But now, anybody can get the blue mark by paying $8/month. Do you think this will lead to any problems? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • If you had a personal Twitter account, would you be willing to pay to get the blue checkmark? Why or why not? Discuss.