The service, named Twitter Blue, was unveiled on Thursday,
though is initially only available in Australia and Canada.
The feature could enable the social network to rely less on
ads or promoted posts that disrupt the real-time flow of tweets that are a huge
part of the global, one-to-many messaging platform's appeal.
"We've heard from the people that use Twitter a lot –
and we mean a lot – that we don't always build power features that meet their
needs," product management director Sara Beykpour and product manager
Smita Mittal Gupta said in a blog post.
"Well, that's about to change."
Monthly subscriptions to Twitter Blue cost $3.49 ($2.88) in
Canada and $4.49 ($3.44) in Australia in local currencies, and are available to
any user, according to the blog.
Twitter has not yet announced when the service may roll out
in other markets.
Perks for Blue subscribers will include a brief window of
time during which they can "undo" or tweak a tweet. However, this
limited feature only lets people set a timer of no more than 30 seconds during
which they can alter or cancel a post, so those who want to alter their
messages will have to be quick.
Additional features include tools making it easier to
organise or read posts, along with access to dedicated customer support for
trouble-shooting.
Twitter planned to enhance Blue based on feedback during the
initial phase.
"For those wondering, no, a free Twitter is not going
away, and never will," Beykpour and Gupta said.
Hi, Twitter 👋 We have arrived.
— Twitter Blue (@TwitterBlue) June 3, 2021
Twitter Blue is going to be a journey and this is just the start. What features would you like to see up next? We want to hear from you.
"This subscription offering is simply meant to add
enhanced and complementary features to the already existing Twitter experience
for those who want it."
Twitter has been open about its plan for a premium paid
platform in the past few months. In January, it acquired Revue, a newsletter
provider, and earlier in May bought Scroll, a subscription service that removes
adverts from news sites.
Last month, the social network also started testing a “tip
jar”, which allows selected users to send monetary tips to content creators on
the platform.
A limited number of users around the world who tweet in
English can add a Tip Jar feature to their profiles, but it is not yet know
when the feature may become a permanent addition to the platform.
- Additional reporting by AFP