You might have seen the news. Broke people on Twitter are up in arms over the Twitter Blue subscription service because they can’t afford the monthly fee. The subscription service, which offers exclusive features such as the ability to undo tweets and get a pat on the head from Elon Musk, is being touted as a game-changer for power users. But for those living paycheck to paycheck, the $11 per month price tag is simply out of reach.
The final straw for many came when their beloved highly insecure form of two-factor authentication using text messages was removed for free users and only available for Twitter Blue subscribers.
“I can’t believe Twitter would do this to us,” said @StrugglingStudent, a college student with $50,000 in student loan debt. “I’m already living off ramen noodles and tap water, and now they want me to pay for Twitter? It’s just not fair.“
Twitter users who have never paid for any other subscription service before are also complaining about the cost. @CheapCharlie, who boasts about never spending money on anything, took to Twitter to express his outrage. “I can’t believe Twitter is trying to charge me for something that used to be free,” he wrote. “I’m not made of money, you know!“
The outcry has reached a fever pitch, with hashtags such as #TwitterForTheRich and #TweetingWhileBroke trending on the platform. Some users even threaten to boycott Twitter altogether, even though they can’t afford to do so because they require the validation of people liking and sharing their Tweets to feel seen.
In response to the backlash, Twitter CEO Elon Musk has issued a statement. “We understand that not everyone can afford Twitter Blue,” he said. “That’s why we’re also launching Twitter Red, which costs $99.99 per month and includes a personal Twitter assistant who will write your tweets for you.“
The outcry of broke people on Twitter has already started a Change.org petition demanding that Twitter make the subscription service free for anyone earning less than $30,000 per year.
It’s a sad state of affairs when even social media is becoming a luxury that only the rich can afford. But hey, at least we can still tweet about it, right?
