The login/sign up screen for a Twitter account is seen on a laptop computer Tuesday, April 27, 2021, in Orlando, Fla. Twitter is rolling out a subscription service, starting in Canada and Australia, that offers perks like an undo button for subscribers. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Twitter is rolling out a subscription service, starting in Canada and Australia, that offers perks like an undo button for subscribers.
The “Twitter Blue” subscription service will offer features that users have long asked for — but still no edit button. It includes bookmark folders for organizing saved content; an “Undo tweet" feature that gives users 30 seconds to cancel a sent tweet before it appears; a “reader mode" that makes threaded tweets easier to read; and customizable app icons and color themes.
Subscribers will also get dedicated customer support, meaning issues they report could get attention faster than other users.
The subscription costs 3.50 Canadian dollars ($2.89) a month and 4.50 Australian dollars ($3.45). There's no timeline for rolling out the service in other countries.
Twitter has been adding new features to attract new users. The social media site has nearly 200 million daily users, fewer than other social media networks. Facebook had 1.88 billion daily users on average in March 2021. Snapchat, meanwhile, had 280 million average daily active users in the first quarter.
Twitter shares closed Thursday down 15 cents at $57.01.
Disney content has gone dark on YouTube TV, leaving subscribers of the Google-owned live streaming platform without access to major networks like ESPN and ABC. That’s because the companies have failed to reach a new licensing deal to keep Disney channels on YouTube TV. Depending on how long it lasts, the dispute could particularly impact coverage of U.S. college football matchups over the weekend — on top of other news and entertainment disruptions that have already arrived. In the meantime, YouTube TV subscribers who want to watch Disney channels could have little choice other than turning to the company’s own platforms, which come with their own price tags.
President Donald Trump said he has decided to lower his combined tariff rates on imports of Chinese goods to 47% after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on curbing fentanyl trafficking.
Universal Music Group and AI platform Udio have settled a copyright lawsuit and will collaborate on a new music creation and streaming platform. The companies announced on Wednesday that they reached a compensatory legal settlement and new licensing agreements. These agreements aim to provide more revenue opportunities for Universal's artists and songwriters. The rise of AI song generation tools like Udio has disrupted the music streaming industry, leading to accusations from record labels. This deal marks the first since Universal and others sued Udio and Suno last year. Financial terms of the settlement weren't disclosed.
