AOC bashes Elon Musk’s $8 Twitter verification subscription

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is hitting back at Elon Musk’s plan to charge Twitter users a monthly fee to keep their accounts verified.

“Lmao at a billionaire earnestly trying to sell people on the idea that “free speech” is actually a $8/mo subscription plan,” the New York Democrat tweeted Tuesday night.

Twitter was reportedly discussing plans to charge a $20 per month verification fee. However, Musk announced the change in a thread earlier in the day, writing that Twitter Blue for $8 a month would bring “power to the people.” 

“Twitter’s current lords [and} peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bulls—,” Musk said, noting that price would be adjusted by country.

Those who pay will also get priority in replies, mentions and search, the ability to post long videos and audio and see half as many ads. 

Publishers “willing to work with [Twitter]” will get “paywall bypass,” and Musk has said there will be a “secondary tag below the name for someone who is a public figure.” 

“This will also give Twitter a revenue stream to reward content creators,” he said. 

The announcement has drawn criticism from those with and without blue checks. 

Some said they would simply screenshot the blue checks on their profiles, rather than cough up the cash to the new Twitter leader.

Earlier on Tuesday, author Stephen King blasted the idea of a $20 verification charge.

“$20 a month to keep my blue check? F— that, they should pay me. If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron,” King tweeted.

“We need to pay the bills somehow!” Musk replied. “Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers. How about $8?”