Twitter Blue pricing to be hiked to $11 for iPhone app users: Report

Twitter Inc plans to change the pricing of its Twitter Blue subscription to $11 (from $7.99) if paid for through its iPhone app, and $7 if paid for on the website, the Information reported on Wednesday, citing a person briefed on the plans.

The move was likely a pushback against Apple Inc's 30 per cent cut on any payments made by users via apps on the iOS operating system, the report said.

The lower pricing on the website was also likely to drive more users to that platform as opposed to signing up on their iPhones, the report said. It did not mention whether pricing would change for the Android platform as well.

Musk, who took ownership of Twitter in October, is planning to roll out the micro blogging site's verified service with different coloured checks for individuals, companies and governments, after a botched initial launch led to a surge in users impersonating celebrities and brands on the platform.

Twitter, Google (which owns the Android operating system), and Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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In a series of tweets last week, Musk listed various grievances with Apple, including the 30 per cent fee that the iPhone maker charges software developers for in-app purchases.

He also posted a meme suggesting he was willing to "go to war" with Apple rather than paying the commission.

He later met Apple chief executive Tim Cook at the company's headquarters and tweeted that the misunderstanding about Twitter being removed from Apple's App Store was resolved.

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