- Kyle Chua
Elon Musk Sets Date for Return of Twitter Blue's Verification
Twitter Blue's paid verification is returning very soon after being suspended less than a week ago.
The microblogging site's new owner Elon Musk announced the feature would be relaunching on 29 November, supposedly giving enough time "to make sure that it is rock solid". He, however, didn't say what's different about it this time around.
The roll out of the feature was halted on 11 November due to various issues, chief of which was how it spawned numerous fake accounts that impersonated brands, celebrities and other verified accounts. An account posing as the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, for example, managed to tank the company's stock after tweeting that insulin was to be given away for free.
The confusion that ensued led to advertisers pulling out and pausing further ad spendings on the site. Musk himself admitted that Twitter saw “a massive drop in revenue” after the likes of General Motors, General Mills, Audi and Volkswagen left.
In an attempt to resolve the issue and reassure advertisers, Twitter launched a new verification badge for high-profile accounts. On top of the blue check mark, these accounts also have a separate, grey badge with an "official" label. This part of the new verification system was also suspended, but, as of writing, has now been brought back.
Musk said that, as part of the relaunch, verified users won't be able to change their display names without losing their checkmark “until the name is confirmed by Twitter to meet Terms of Service".
He also said that unpaid users who still have blue check marks can expect to lose them within a few months. They'll have to subscribe to Twitter Blue. Twitter's paid verification was launched earlier this month for a monthly price of US$8.
Twitter reportedly hasn't turned a profit since 2019, and its fate, according to Musk, now depends on the success of Twitter Blue. "The reason we’re going hardcore on subscribers is to keep Twitter alive,” the tech executive said in his first all-hands meeting with staff.
Elon Musk announced Twitter's new paid verification would be relaunching on 29 November, supposedly giving enough time "to make sure that it is rock solid".
The roll out of the feature was halted on 11 November due to various issues, chief of which was how it spawned numerous fake accounts that impersonated brands, celebrities and other verified accounts.
Musk said that, as part of the relaunch, verified users won't be able to change their display names without losing their checkmark “until the name is confirmed by Twitter to meet Terms of Service".