Twitter is considering switching gears and tacking on a subscription fee for some of the platform’s features as a means to diversify its revenue and reduce its dependence on advertising.
The social media giant is weighing a variety of funding options, including charging for ad-free content, detailed analytics information and customizable features, according to Bloomberg, which also reported that the Tweetdeck dashboard could also fall under a service charge.
The idea of charging users for an “undo send” option is also being considered.
In a statement to the outlet, Bruce Falck, Twitter’s head of revenue products, explained that “increasing revenue durability is our top company objective” before acknowledging that the subscription effort is in the “very early” stages of being discussed.
“We do not expect any meaningful revenue attributable to these opportunities in 2021,” he added.
Despite Falck’s remarks, most netizens did not exactly welcome with open arms the possibility of a fee-based Twitter.
— Perk (@steveperkinsjr) February 8, 2021
— ʙɪʟs_ɴᴀɪʟ (@NailBils) February 8, 2021
— char | #HLSY (@alterego) February 8, 2021
— Matt Liebowitz (@mattliebowitz) February 8, 2021
— Chris (@evilcheltdevil) February 8, 2021
Some, however, suggested that they might be willing to shell out a few bucks, should the service be worthwhile.
— Tony Romm (@TonyRomm) February 8, 2021
— Mike Wilks (@mikewilks) February 8, 2021
— Weapon (@WeaponII) February 8, 2021
Twitter previously prompted reports that it would start offering a subscription-based service during the summer of 2020, when the company released a survey asking users what services they would be willing to pay for. The services mentioned in the survey were mostly the same mentioned in the Bloomberg article.
The company later fueled the flame when it opted to list a job posting that indicated the interested applicant would be working on “building a subscription platform” in conjunction with Twitter’s payment team.
Although Twitter has not yet offered any other details regarding the latest development, the social media giant is likely to reveal more of its plans during a fourth quarter earnings call with investors on Tuesday.
