1. Elon Musk informed William Shatner that Twitter should have uniform criteria for all users, including celebrities.
2. During their conversation, Shatner expressed dissatisfaction with Musk about paying for a blue checkmark on his Twitter account.
3. Shatner lamented to Musk that despite contributing clever ideas on Twitter for 15 years, he had received no compensation.
William Shatner voiced his frustration about the blue checkmark on his Twitter account disappearing unless he subscribes to Twitter Blue, to which Elon Musk responded. The "Star Trek" actor was reacting to Twitter's announcement of removing verified blue ticks from users' accounts starting on April 1 and Twitter's condition that the only way to keep the blue tick is to sign up for Twitter Blue, a monthly subscription costing $8.
Shatner, who gained fame for his spoken-word cover of Elton John's "Rocket Man" in 1978 and recently traveled to space in Blue Origin's rocket in October 2021, tweeted Musk, "Hey Elon Musk, what's this about blue checks going away unless we pay Twitter?" Shatner further revealed that he had been using the platform for 15 years, contributing witty thoughts without receiving any compensation.
He exclaimed, "So now you're saying I have to pay for something previously given me for free? Is this some kind of Colombia Records & Tape Club?" In this statement, Shatner seemed to be alluding to Columbia House Records, a music club founded in the 1950s, where members paid a fee and received some music records free of charge.
Around 12 hours later, Musk responded to Shatner's tweet by quote-tweeting him and stating, "In my opinion, it's more about treating everyone equally. There should not be different criteria for celebrities."
In November, Musk disclosed that Twitter would introduce a monthly charge of $8 for users who want to get verified and maintain the blue checkmark. According to Musk, Twitter Blue will allow users to publish long-form videos, view fewer advertisements, and have search priority.
Several celebrities, such as Stephen King, Josh Gad, and Lynda Carter, spoke out against Musk for requiring Twitter users to pay for a blue checkmark.
After Musk acquired Twitter in late October, several notable figures, including Adam McKay, Jim Carrey, Shona Rhimes, and Elton John, left the platform, with some expressing concerns about misinformation and safety.
Insider reached out to Twitter for a comment but received an automated message that did not address the inquiry.
Before Blue Origin's 11-minute trip took Shatner to space, Musk commented, "Godspeed Captain" on NASA's Twitter post. After the journey, the billionaire tweeted, "Congratulations, sending William Shatner to space was fantastic."
Source from Business Insider.