Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
President Aoun: We urge the activation of the monitoring committee, the cessation of hostilities, ongoing Israeli violations, attacks
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to US Envoy Morgan Ortagus: Southerners must be enabled to return to their homes and rebuild
Syrian sources: The Israeli occupation has begun withdrawing from the areas it infiltrated last night in the Quneitra countryside.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Massive bombings in eastern Gaza, the second within half an hour, and its sound was heard from central area.
Russian air defense units destroyed a drone that was heading toward Moscow.
Maduro: Tomorrow, a business meeting will be held bringing together hundreds of entrepreneurs from advanced Russian industries with hundreds of Venezuelan businesspeople.
Maduro: In the face of threats, Trinidad and Tobago agreed to suspend all effects of the energy agreement and everything that had been agreed upon in that regard.
Maduro: It’s time to make a choice, either stand with the warmongers who want death and violence, or stand with life.
Maduro: They want our wealth. This is not about drug trafficking, and they know it.
Maduro: Everyone in the world knows that what the economic elite ruling the United States seeks today is Venezuela’s oil, gas, and gold.

Too frequent-too big? Ad-free Twitter comes with costlier subscription

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 22 Jan 2023 11:19
2 Min Read

The announcement comes as the social network suffers significant economic uncertainty since Musk's October purchase.

  • x
  • An illustration photo shows a phone screen displaying a photo of Elon Musk with the Twitter logo shown in the background, in Washington. (AFP)
    An illustration photo shows a phone screen displaying Elon Musk with the Twitter logo shown in the background. (AFP)

In a series of tweets on Saturday, Twitter CEO Elon Musk announced that the company's subscription service would show less advertising to customers, including an ad-free tier.

The announcement comes as the social network has suffered significant economic uncertainty since Musk's October purchase.

"Ads are too frequent on Twitter and too big. Taking steps to address both in coming weeks," Musk posted to his Twitter account Saturday.

Ads are too frequent on Twitter and too big. Taking steps to address both in coming weeks.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 21, 2023

In addition, "there will be a more expensive subscription that allows zero commercials," Musk stated.

That would represent a significant shift in Twitter's business model, which had previously depended on targeted advertising to generate money before launching a premium subscription service in mid-December.

However, advertising has recently become a source of concern for Twitter, following Musk's firing of over half of the company's 7,500-person workforce late last year. The move raised concerns that the firm was understaffed to handle content monitoring and frightened governments and advertisers.

#Twitter has been heading straight into the eye of a storm!
Twitter on Friday paused its recently announced $8 blue check subscription service as fake accounts rushed to impersonate politicians, companies, and even celebrities.#TwitterTakeover pic.twitter.com/IcvR51gyRA

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 13, 2022

Musk stated that his aim was to minimize costs while increasing revenue and that a new subscription service called Twitter Blue, which offers users a sought-after blue verification tick for a price, would help him achieve that goal.

According to a page on the company's website, the service costs $11 per month in the United States and is available on Apple's iOS and Google's Android mobile operating systems.

Web subscriptions are also available for $8 per month or $84 per year at a discount.

#Twitter has been heading straight into the eye of a storm!
Twitter on Friday paused its recently announced $8 blue check subscription service as fake accounts rushed to impersonate politicians, companies, and even celebrities.#TwitterTakeover pic.twitter.com/IcvR51gyRA

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 13, 2022

Twitter Blue is now available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan.

With mass layoffs, the restoration of banned accounts, and the banning of journalists critical of the South African-born entrepreneur, Musk's Twitter has been riven by instability.

Musk's takeover also resulted in an increase in racist or offensive comments, prompting regulatory scrutiny and driving away big advertisers, Twitter's main source of revenue.

Read next: Media companies set 2023 content deals with Twitter

  • ad-free Twitter
  • Elon Musk
  • Twitter
  • Twitter Files

Most Read

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

  • Technology
  • 24 Oct 2025
Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

  • Politics
  • 27 Oct 2025
Abu Hamza, the spokesperson for the Al-Quds Brigades, during a speech televised on October 22, 2025 (Al-Quds Brigades Military Media)

Al-Quds Brigades' Abu Hamza mourns leaders, vows continued resistance

  • Politics
  • 22 Oct 2025
US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

  • Africa
  • 23 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Delta Air Lines flight lands at Harry Reid International Airport, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Las Vegas (AP)
Politics

Nearly 3,800 US flights disrupted amid ongoing government shutdown

FILE - The Amazon logo is pictured at the Amazon Robotic Sorting Fulfillment Center in Madison County, Miss., Aug. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
Economy

Amazon to cut 30,000 jobs in largest layoff in company history

Eurofighter Typhoon Spain's Air Force fighter jets fly above the military parade marking 'Día de la Hispanidad', or Hispanic Day, in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP)
Politics

UK sells 20 Eurofighter jets to Türkiye in £8bln defense agreement

Smoke billows after drone strikes by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted the northern port in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, Sudan, May 6, 2025 (AP)
Politics

RSF tighten El Fasher siege as Sudan risks fragmentation: Reuters

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS