Kate Duffy

<ul><li>Elon Musk said Twitter will introduce an $8 verification fee, no matter how much users complain.</li><li>Musk has drawn criticism for plans to charge users to be verified on the site.</li><li>He also dismissed fears that charging for verification could lead to a rise of misinformation.</li></ul>

The billionaire, who closed the $44 billion deal for the social media platform last week, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-new-twitter-verification-system-cost-details-2022-11">announced</a> on Tuesday that Twitter's new verification system would cost $8 per month. This sparked <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-stephen-king-twitter-quit-pay-bills-users-verification-2022-11">controversy</a> among some verified Twitter users who were unhappy at the news that they'd have to start paying for the blue tick.

Despite the criticism, Musk reiterated his plans later in the day.

"To all complainers, please continue complaining, but it will cost $8," he <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1587627120355934208?s=20&amp;t=mfs6dEYzvdhQRKDbaLwoZQ">tweeted</a>.

Included in the price would not only be the blue checkmark, but also priority in search, fewer ads, and the ability to post long-form video, Musk has said in various tweets. Musk is planning to overhaul <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/twitter-blue">Twitter Blue</a>, the site's premium subscription service, with these features.

The $8 subscription fee is lower than previously expected. The <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/30/23431931/twitter-paid-verification-elon-musk-blue-monthly-subscription">Verge</a> reported on Sunday that Musk was aiming to charge $20 monthly for Blue, which is currently $4.99 per month.

Author <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-stephen-king-twitter-quit-pay-bills-users-verification-2022-11">Stephen King spoke out</a> about the news on Twitter, saying he'd quit the site if he was forced to pay $20 to keep his blue checkmark. In response to King's tweet, Musk <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1587312517679878144?s=20&amp;t=lNoPKZypFpPJahkdZoRNqA">said</a>: "We need to pay the bills somehow! Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers. How about $8?"

Paying to remain verified on the platform could present the opportunity for fake accounts and bots to impersonate government officials, journalists, celebrities, and other public figures, leading to the possibility of more widespread misinformation.&nbsp;

In response to a Twitter user who said another user could pay $8 in an attempt to impersonate Musk with the same name, profile picture, and tweets, the billionaire <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1587588008756318211?s=20&amp;t=mfs6dEYzvdhQRKDbaLwoZQ">said</a>: "That already happens very frequently."

The charge for being verified on Twitter is one of a number of controversies facing Musk in the days after he took over the platform. Others include the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-fired-twitter-execs-for-cause-avoid-severance-report-2022-10">firing of several top executives</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/10/31/elon-musk-twitter-layoffs/">reports</a> that he plans to lay-off 25% of the workforce, and a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-elon-musk-takeover-director-safety-racist-slur-tweets-trolls-2022-10">rise in hateful content</a>&nbsp;on the site.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.HANNIBAL HANSCHKE /Getty Images

Elon Musk has doubled down on Twitter's proposed new $8-per-month fee for users who want to keep their blue verified checkmark.

Elon Musk put his foot down on Twitter's $8 blue tick fee, telling users they can keep complaining but the price won't change

<ul><li>Mark Zuckerberg said Reels on Instagram and Facebook were becoming more popular.</li><li>Users were playing more than 140 billion Reels across Facebook and Instagram every day, he said.</li><li>Celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner said they wanted more "cute photos" on Instagram.</li></ul>

Reels, a short-form video feature on both Instagram and Facebook, have been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-should-dial-down-metaverse-grow-facebook-instagram-whatsapp-2022-10">compared</a> to the format of Chinese video platform TikTok. Critics have hit out at Instagram's push for more video content.

During Meta's third-quarter results call, Zuckerberg said the production and consumption of reels was growing with users playing more than 140 billion reels across Facebook and Instagram every day.

He said this was 50% more than six months ago, adding: "On Instagram alone, people already reshare Reels one billion times a day through DMs."

The video feature was "incremental" for users spending time on Instagram and Facebook, Zuckerberg said. "The trends look good here, and we believe that we're gaining time spent share on competitors like TikTok."

Meta had chosen to take a quarterly revenue hit of more than $500 million, Zuckerberg said, because they did not yet generate as much advertising income as Stories or feeds.

"I think this is clearly the right thing to do so that Reels can grow with the demand we're seeing, but closing this gap is also a high priority," he said.

While the Meta chief said Reels let users find new hobbies and connect with creators and businesses, some celebrities don't agree.

After Meta announced it would emphasize videos over photos, Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner, who both have more than 300 million Instagram users, posted a picture on their Stories in July telling Instagram to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kim-kardashian-kylie-jenner-smarter-than-mark-zuckerberg-instagram-changes-2022-7">"stop trying to be TikTok,"</a> leading to other users doing the same.

"Make Instagram Instagram again (stop trying to be TikTok. I just want to see cute photos of my friends). Sincerely, everyone," read the message that the half-sisters shared.

Instagram <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-walks-back-full-screen-feed-changes-kardashians-influencer-backlash-2022-7">pulled the plug</a> on the plans <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kim-kardashian-kylie-jenner-smarter-than-mark-zuckerberg-instagram-changes-2022-7">three days after</a> Jenner and Kardashian posted the warning on their Stories.

Meta didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

According to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/instagram-reels-tiktok-meta-facebook-documents-11662991777">an internal company report</a> reviewed by The Wall Street Journal in September, Instagram users were spending <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-reels-engagement-is-lagging-far-behind-rival-tiktok-report-2022-9">less than 18 million hours a day watching reels</a>. In comparison, TikTok users were scrolling through the app for nearly 200 million hours every day, per the Journal.

A Meta spokesperson told Insider at the time that the Journal's report used "outdated and, in some cases, incorrect data to paint a false picture of our progress on Reels."

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Reels are becoming more popular, but Kim Kardashian has said she wants more "cute photos" on Instagram.Getty Images

Instagram Reels are taking off even though celebrities have criticized the app for acting like TikTok, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Thursday.

Mark Zuckerberg says Instagram Reels are booming despite celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner slamming the app for being like TikTok

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Kate Duffy

Articles written by the author

Elon Musk put his foot down on Twitter's $8 blue tick fee, telling users they can keep complaining but the price won't change

Mark Zuckerberg says Instagram Reels are booming despite celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner slamming the app for being like TikTok