India’s “First” Twitter User On Whether She’ll Pay For Blue Tick
The recent acquisition of Twitter by Tesla CEO Elon Musk has sparked a lot of discussion about the upcoming changes to the microblogging service. Despite this, India’s first Twitter user has some opinions to express regarding the platform’s development and the recent changes.
In 2006, a girl received an email from TWTTR (the project’s code name) inviting her to sign up for a new platform during the Orkut and blogging eras before Twitter was formally launched. Prior to the formal debut of the network, she signed up and became the first Indian to use Twitter.That woman was Naina Redhu, who has posted around 1,75,000 tweets to date and who currently works in a hotel in Jaisalmer.
She was interviewed by ANI to find out how much Twitter has changed since she joined and how she feels about the modifications made after Elon Musk’s acquisition.Nowhere in Naina’s Twitter bio, which describes her as a “Photographer, Artist & Experience Collector,” is it mentioned that she was the country of India’s first Twitter user.
Revealing whether she will be among the ones who pay, Naina Redhu said, “Currently, there is no clarity regarding what the money is being charged for. Whether the meaning of the blue tick will remain the same as it is now or will it change? Only once there is some clarity regarding this then only will I be able to make a decision.”
“It’s a private company and the reason they started giving the blue tick to users was to verify that it’s the real account of a public figure. And if I have not paid for this in the past 16 years then why should I now,” she added.
Naina also shared her thoughts on what effect will Twitter’s blue tick decision will have in India. “I don’t feel there will be any effect because having a blue tick in general is not a necessity. Further, people who need it and can afford will simply buy it and the general public will also not be affected. But I do feel people who work independently like in journalism and cannot afford, might be affected.”
For iOS users in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, Twitter Blue with verification was released last week. Later, Musk reportedly backed up the rumours and disclosed that the company would charge USD 8 per month for a subscription service on Twitter that would give users priority in replies, mentions, and searches.
Musk’s choice to enact the blue tick tax, however, did not sit well with everyone. Even a few advertisers withdrew from the website. The Twitter Blue membership was widely introduced over a year ago as a way to read some publishers’ posts without ads and make other app customizations, such a different colour home screen icon.
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