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San Francisco: After a not-so-long wait, microblogging platform Twitter has announced a subscription service for $7.99 a month that includes a blue check now given only to verified accounts as the new owner and Chief Twit Elon Musk “works to overhaul” the platform’s verification system just ahead of the midterm elections in the USA.
In an update to Apple iOS devices available in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, Twitter said users who “sign up now” for the new “Twitter Blue with verification” can receive the blue check next to their names “just like the celebrities, companies, and politicians you already follow.”
Esther Crawford, a Twitter employee tweeted on Saturday that the “new Blue isn’t live yet — the sprint to our launch continues but some folks may see us making updates because we are testing and pushing changes in real-time.” Verified accounts did not appear to be losing their checks so far.
It was not immediately clear when the subscription would go live, and Crawford did not immediately respond to a message to clarify the timing. Twitter also did not immediately respond to a message for comment.
Anyone being able to get the blue check could lead to confusion and the rise of disinformation ahead of Tuesday’s elections, but Musk tweeted Saturday in response to a question about the risk of impostors impersonating verified profiles — such as politicians and election officials — that “Twitter will suspend the account attempting impersonation and keep the money!”
“So if scammers want to do this a million times, that’s just a whole bunch of free money,” he said.
Musk announced in a tweet on November 1 that users will now be able to buy the Blue verification tick mark at the price of $8 per month. Users will also get some benefits such as primacy in searches and replies.
The new owner of the social media platform tweeted that the disparity between those who have the blue checkmark and those who don’t will no longer be there. The price will be adjusted according to the country proportionate to purchasing power parity adding that the benefits included in the purchased account are the ability to post long video and audio, lessen the number of ads by half, and also paywall bypass for publishers willing to work with Twitter.
Earlier, on November 1, reports stated that Twitter was considering a $20 monthly subscription for blue checkmarks as Elon Musk was reportedly working towards some major changes in Twitter. The changes were set to be introduced in the Twitter Blue subscription and verification process which provides a ‘Blue tick’. Previously Twitter Blue, the company’s optional subscription plan used to charge $4.99 per month.
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