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“If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product” has long been a common refrain about the business of social media. The saying implies that you, the user, aren’t paying for apps like Instagram and Twitter because you’re giving away something else: your attention (and sometimes your content), which is sold to advertisers. But now, this free model of social media — subsidized by advertising — is under pressure. Social media companies can’t make as much money off their free users as they used to. A weaker advertising market, privacy restrictions imposed by Apple that make it harder to track users and their preferences, and the perpetual threat of regulation have made it harder for social media apps to sell ads. Which is why we’re seeing the beginnings of what might be a new era of social media: pay-to-play. On Sunday, Meta became the latest and largest major social media company to announce a paid version of its products with the “Meta Verified” program. Facebook and Instagram will each charge users $12 a month for a blue verification badge, more protection against account impersonation, access to “a real person” in customer support to help with common account issues

Ronald Araujo has reported that his Twitter account was hacked, though he has since recovered it. Earlier today, during the Liverpool-Real Madrid match, Araujo seemingly tweeted “What a mistake by Nacho! He falls asleep and is making a huge mess.” Some fans raised their eyebrows at the jab, which apart from being directed towards a rival player, was somewhat random or out of left field. The FC Barcelona defender deleted the tweet, replacing it with the following message: “Hacked account. Apologies to all my followers and all the fans. Everything under control. ” Real Madrid would go on to win the match 5-2.

At a House Oversight Committee hearing earlier this month, Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-MD) spoke about Twitter.Fuel your success with Forbes.

Meta unveils Twitter Blue-like subscription. Are paid subscriptions the next step for social media?Source: ShutterstockMeta Platforms recently announced that it is testing a monthly subscription service after Twitter introduced Twitter Blue last month. Even other social media apps, like Snap Inc’s Snapchat and messaging app Telegram, launched paid subscription services last year as a new source of revenue.Amidst all the ChatGPT craze, another trend has been picking up in the tech world – especially among social media giants – and it is “paid verification.” This week, Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Platforms announced that the company had jumped on the bandwagon and said it would be testing paid verification services for Facebook and Instagram, just months after the Twitter Pay Per Blue Tick announcement.Known as the Meta Verified feature, the company said it would be an Instagram and Facebook subscription bundle with a verified badge to authenticate a user’s account with a government ID, proactive account protection, account support, and increased visibility and reach. The Meta Verified subscription would also include extra protection against impersonation. It will be priced at US$11.99 per month on the web or US$14.99 monthly on Apple’s iOS and Android.Following the footsteps of the rival platform Twitter, Mark

Meta states that users would need to provide a government ID to be verified on Facebook and Instagram. Meta Verified's features include a verified badge, and more protection from impersonation.New Delhi,UPDATED: Feb 20, 2023 09:05 ISTBy Abhik Sengupta: Meta has confirmed the launch of "Meta Verified" -- its own subscription model similar to Twitter Blue. One of the biggest advantages of the Meta Verified subscription is that users can get verified on Instagram and Facebook. If the profile is verified, users will get a blue tick next to their names, which has become a status symbol over the years. The subscription will also offer an extra security feature to help authentic creators fight against impersonating accounts. Currently, the Meta Verified is being tested in Australia and New Zealand at $11.99 (around Rs 990) per month on the web or $14.99 (around Rs 1,240) per month on iPhones.Meta Verified's price in India will likely be adjusted to appeal to a wider group of audience. If the company retains the Rs 1,200, the subscription will be more expensive than Twitter Blue (Rs 900) and even Netflix's premium plan (Rs 649).In a blog post, Meta states that users would need to provide a

Twitter has announced that starting with March 20, users who don’t pay the Twitter Blue subscription will no longer be able to use the SMS-based two-factor authentication (2FA) option. “While historically a popular form of 2FA, unfortunately we have seen phone-number based 2FA be used – and abused – by bad actors,” the company said. Twitter CEO Elon Musk further explained the rationale behind the move by claiming that “Twitter is getting scammed by phone companies for $60M/year of fake 2FA SMS messages.” For good or for bad Some security professionals have been commenting the move, some arguing that it’s good because it will push users away from a relatively easily bypassed 2FA option towards more secure ones: authenticator apps that provide one-time access codes and hardware security keys. Others pointed out that even SMS-based 2FA is better than just securing accounts with a password. According to the last known 2FA usage numbers (from 2H 2021), the SMS-based 2FA option is the most widely used by far, because less tech-savvy users find it to be the easiest to understand and set up. It now remains to be seen if this latest move by Twitter will push those users towards a

Twitter blasts 2023 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge originally appeared on NBC Sports PhiladelphiaThe hometown Team Jazz won the 2023 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge, but spectators lost.Team Jazz -- comprising Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton and Walker Kessler -- topped Team Antetokounmpo (Giannis Antetokounmpo was replaced by Bucks teammate Jrue Holiday) and Team Rook (Paolo Banchero, Jabari Smith Jr., Jaden Ivey), but it was not the sight fans hoped for.From the rough passing challenges (including technical issues that saw the moving rack stop moving) to the poor shooting on display, it was certainly a challenge for the players to showcase their skills.Team Jazz topped the leaderboard with 300 points, Team Rook logged 100 and Team Antetokounmpo blanked with zero among the mini competitions.Here's how social media reacted to the event:

Warriors Warriors The 2023 NBA Dunk Contest might have been saved and it is all thanks to former Warriors guard Mac McClung.  Surrounded by bright lights and NBA stars as far as the eye can see, McClung put on a show, garnering a perfect 50 score on all but one of his dunk attempts on the night. His final dunk of the night, a two-handed 540 reverse slam, brought down Vivint Arena and sent the crowd into a frenzy. Naturally, NBA Twitter went berserk during and after McClung's win. Man was a viral HOH high school dunk phenom, still working his way to the League, but lemme go get that dunk contest trophy right quick and bring it back to life!!! Unreal #macmclung— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) February 19, 2023 Mac McClung has personally saved the slam dunk contest with his performance tonight!! He put on a show! 🔥🔥🔥— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) February 19, 2023 This is so Dope! Congratulation Mac McClung— Tyson Chandler (@tysonchandler) February 19, 2023 I was wrong about the dunk contest. Mac Mcclung 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯— Lou Williams (@TeamLou23) February 19, 2023 MAC MCCLUNG JUST RAN AWAY WITH THE DUNK CONTEST. MOST AMAZING WAS THAT HE NAILED ALL

PIX Now -- Friday morning headlines from the KPIX newsroom PIX Now -- Friday morning headlines from the KPIX newsroom 09:24 MADRID — Spain's National Court has agreed to the extradition to the U.S. of a British citizen who allegedly took part in computer attacks, including the July 2020 hacking of Twitter accounts of public figures such as Joseph Biden, Barack Obama and Bill Gates.A court statement Friday said requirements had been met for handing over Joseph James O'Connor to U.S. authorities for 14 charges covering crimes such as revelation of secrets, membership of a criminal gang, illegal access to computer systems, internet fraud, money laundering and extortion.O'Connor, 23, from Liverpool, England was arrested in the southern Spanish coastal town of Estepona in July 2021.He is accused of hacking some 130 Twitter accounts. The court document said he is also wanted for hacking the Snapchat account of an unidentified public figure whom he allegedly tried to extort with the threat of publishing nude photographs of the person.He is also wanted for several cases of "swatting," prank calls to emergency services aimed at getting large numbers of police to be sent to different locations. The court rejected arguments by O'Connor's lawyers

Tesla CEO Elon Musk leaves the Phillip Burton Federal Building on January 24, 2023 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)Tesla workers are claiming that their new union’s Twitter account was shadowbanned, according to a National Labor Review Board charge filed on Friday.Autopilot workers at the Buffalo Gigafactory 2 facility went public with a campaign to form a union on Feb. 14. But by the next day, the workers found that their account had been shadowbanned—meaning it doesn’t appear in Twitter’s search function if you type out either the account’s handle or display name. Elon Musk serves as the CEO at both Tesla and Twitter, and he is named in the NLRB charge.“In February 2023, immediately following workers announcing a union campaign at the Tesla Gigafactory 2 facility, the above-named employer, through CEO Elon Musk and/or his agents and representatives, caused the Union's Twitter account (@united_tesla) to be shadow banned from the Twitter platform,” said the NLRB filing from Workers United, the union backing pro-union Tesla employees at the Buffalo facility. “The shadow ban caused the Union's account to be less accessible and functionally hidden from workers and the public on Twitter, thereby stopping or discouraging protected concerted