Twitter has announced a US$7.99-a-month subscription service that includes a blue check now only given to verified accounts, as new owner Elon Musk works to overhaul the platform’s verification system ahead of the US midterm elections . In an update for Apple iOS devices available in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK, Twitter said users who “sign up now” for the new “Twitter Blue with Verification” can get the blue check next to their names. as well as the celebrities, companies and politicians you already follow.” However, Twitter employee Esther Crawford tweeted on Saturday that “the new Blue isn’t live yet — our release sprint continues, but some people may see us making updates because we’re testing and pushing changes to real time”. Verified accounts don’t seem to be losing their checks so far. It was not immediately clear when the subscription would be released, and Crawford did not immediately respond to a message to clarify the timeline. Twitter also did not immediately respond to a message for comment. Anyone able to get the blue check could lead to confusion and an increase in misinformation ahead of Tuesday’s election, but Musk tweeted Saturday in response to a question about the risk of fraudsters impersonating verified profiles — such as politicians and election officials — that “Twitter will suspend the account attempting impersonation and keep the money!” “So if the scammers want to do this a million times, that’s just a bunch of free money,” he said. But many fear the sweeping layoffs that began Friday could break down the guardrails of moderation and content verification on the social platform that public agencies, election boards, police departments and news outlets use to keep people reliably informed. The change will end Twitter’s current verification system, which was launched in 2009 to prevent impersonation of high-profile accounts such as celebrities and politicians. Twitter now has about 423,000 verified accounts, many of which rank journalists from around the world who were verified by the company regardless of how many followers they had. Experts have raised serious concerns about the overhaul of the platform’s verification system that, while not perfect, has helped Twitter’s 238 million daily users determine whether the accounts they receive information from are authentic. Current verified accounts include celebrities, athletes and influencers, along with government agencies and politicians around the world, journalists and news outlets, activists, businesses and brands, and Musk himself. “He knows the blue check has value and he’s trying to take advantage of it quickly,” said Jennifer Grygiel, an associate professor of communication at Syracuse University and a social media expert. “He has to earn people’s trust before he can sell them anything. Why would you buy a car from a salesman who you know has essentially turned out to be a mess?” The update Twitter made to the iOS version of its app doesn’t mention verification as part of the new blue check system. As of now, the update is not available on Android devices. Musk, who earlier said he wants to “verify all people” on Twitter, argued that public figures would be identified in ways other than a blue check. Currently, for example, government officials are identified in text with names that indicate they are posting from an official government account. President Joe Biden’s @POTUS account, for example, says in gray letters that it belongs to a “United States government official.” The announcement comes a day after Twitter began laying off workers to cut costs and as more companies halt advertising on the platform as a wary corporate world waits to see how it will fare under its new owner. About half of the company’s 7,500-strong workforce has been laid off, Yoel Roth, Twitter’s head of security and integrity, said on Twitter. He said the company’s first content coordinator was the group least affected by the job cuts and that “election integrity efforts — including harmful disinformation that can suppress voting and combating information operations supported by the state — remain a top priority.” Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey took responsibility for the job losses. “I am responsible for why everyone is in this situation: I grew the size of the company too quickly,” he tweeted on Saturday. “I apologize for that.” Musk tweeted late Friday that there was no choice but to cut jobs “when the company is losing over $4 million USD/day.” He did not elaborate on the daily losses on Twitter and said the employees who lost their jobs were offered three months’ severance pay. He also said that Twitter has already seen a “massive drop in revenue” as advertisers face pressure from activists to leave the platform, which relies heavily on advertising to make money. United Airlines on Saturday became the latest major brand to stop advertising on Twitter, joining the likes of General Motors, REI, General Mills and Audi. Musk tried to reassure advertisers last week, saying Twitter won’t become a “free-for-all” because of what he calls its commitment to free speech. However, concerns remain about whether a lighter touch on content moderation on Twitter will result in users sending more offensive tweets. This could damage companies’ brands if their ads appear alongside them. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Saturday called on Musk to “ensure that human rights are central to the management of Twitter.” In an open letter, Turk said reports that the company’s entire human rights team and much of its ethical AI team were fired were not “an encouraging start.” “Like all companies, Twitter needs to understand the vulnerabilities associated with its platform and take steps to address them,” Turk said. “Respect for our common human rights must set the guardrails for the use and evolution of the platform.” Meanwhile, Twitter can’t just cut costs to boost profits, and Musk needs to find ways to raise more revenue, said Wedbush analyst Dan Ives. But that may be easier said than done with the new blue check membership program. “Users have been getting it for free,” Ives said. “There could be a huge pushback.” He expects 20% to 25% of verified Twitter users to sign up initially. The stakes are high for Musk and Twitter to get it done early and registrations run smoothly, he added. “You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression,” Ives said. “It’s been a train wreck the first week for Musk owning the Twitter platform. Now you’ve cut 50 percent (of the workforce). There are only questions about the stability of the platform and advertisers are watching it with a keen eye.” —— AP Business writer Stan Choe contributed from New York.
