Tweetdeck is now pay-to-play

TweetDeck, that handy tool we’ve all been using for free, has been gussied up, rebranded as X Pro, and slapped with a price tag. No more enjoying multiple feeds in real-time without reaching for your wallet.

And who do we have to thank for this? None other than billionaire boy-man wonder Elon Musk, who, after buying Twitter for $44 billion, decided to turn X into a cash cow, milking us for all we’re worth.

Starting Wednesday, if you want to keep using X Pro, you’re going to have to cough up $84 a year for the privilege. But don’t worry; they’re throwing in some “perks” to sweeten the deal.

Here’s what you get with an X Premium membership: a verified blue checkmark on your account, priority in replies and searches, access to longer posts, and fewer ads. Wow, sign me up.

Let’s not forget, though, the comedy of errors that was the launch of X Premium, formerly known as Twitter Blue. It was pulled almost immediately after launch due to a flood of users impersonating celebs and popular brands.

In the meantime, Musk has been playing puppet master, cutting jobs and introducing new features and policy changes faster than you can say, “What happened to Twitter?”

And then there’s the rebranding, which saw Twitter’s iconic bird logo replaced with… well, X.

It’s a sad day when a platform we’ve grown to love (or at least tolerate) decides to bleed us dry in the name of ‘progress.’ And for what? A few extra bells and whistles? A blue checkmark? It’s as if we’re paying for the privilege of being nickel-and-dimed.

In the grand scheme of things, it’s just plain dumb, and frankly, I’m not here for it.

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• X, formely Twitter, is planning to introduce a video-calling feature
• Twitter now lets paying Blue subscribers hide their shame
• Twitter X CEO changes username; trolls immediately snag it
• Elon Musk’s new regime reinstates Kanye West’s Twitter account

Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com or find him on Mastodon or Post.