Twitter is currently revising the way it verifies users, new owner Elon Musk has said, without offering further details.
The billionaire, who completed his $44 billion acquisition of the San Francisco-based microblogging platform on Thursday, made the suggestion in response to a Twitter user who was apparently having trouble with being verified on the platform.
“The whole verification process is being revamped right now,” said Mr Musk, a prolific Twitter user known to send out tweets that are often vague or cryptic.
The issue has been a hot topic at Twitter and was put in the spotlight when Mr Musk began his takeover bid.
The microblogging platform places a blue tick next to an account's user name to denote that it is a real account.
Current Twitter rules stipulate that users can receive a blue tick if they provide links to an official website, provide a photo of a valid official government-issued identification document or an official email address.
The company also launched its first subscription service, Twitter Blue, in June last year, which offers users access to premium features and editing tweets.
The edit button — a long-awaited feature — was introduced in a few select countries earlier this month.
Mr Musk completed the acquisition following a whirlwind several months in which he went back-and-forth with Twitter's executives.
A US judge gave both parties until last Friday to finalise the deal, which had dragged on since April when the Tesla chief executive made a surprise offer to buy the company at $54.20 a share.
Throughout the saga, both sides accused each other on a variety of issues, especially on the number of fake or spam accounts on the platform, which almost killed the deal.
Mr Musk, the world's wealthiest person who has about 112.3 million followers, tried to walk away from the deal in May after accusing the social media company of understating the number of bot and fake accounts on the platform.
Twitter repeatedly denied Mr Musk's accusations, saying its figures were accurate. This led to a series of lawsuits between the two parties.
Mr Musk had said in April that he would ensure all users are human, a reference to another of his pledges to combat bots — automated programs designed to do certain tasks, such as interacting with users — on the platform.
“I also want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots and authenticating all humans,” he said, without, again, providing specific details.
Twitter chief executive Parag Agrawal, who replaced founder Jack Dorsey last November, and finance chief Ned Segal have left the company and will not be returning, CNBC reported.
Vijaya Gadde, the head of legal policy, trust and safety, was reportedly fired, the Washington Post reported.
In a separate tweet, Mr Musk put out a poll asking users whether to bring back Vine, the short video app that was shut down by Twitter in 2016 and is considered to be the precursor to TikTok.
While it is unclear why Mr Musk released the poll, it is known that he seeks the opinion of his users on certain issues, such as when he was considering selling a 10 per cent stake in Tesla and if Twitter needs an edit button.
It is also unclear how much sway the poll results have on his decisions.
The Vine poll has garnered more than 1.11 million votes, with about three quarters in favour of the potential move.
Twitter bought Vine in 2012, reportedly for $30 million, and helped content creators to reach a wider audience.
However, they eventually left the platform after disagreements on compensation. In 2016, Twitter discontinued the service, after it refused to continue investing in the app.
The following year, China's ByteDance acquired Musical.ly, which it then merged with its own short-video application TikTok.
Honeymoonish
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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ANDROID%20VERSION%20NAMES%2C%20IN%20ORDER
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Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
MEFCC information
Tickets range from Dh110 for an advance single-day pass to Dh300 for a weekend pass at the door. VIP tickets have sold out. Visit www.mefcc.com to purchase tickets in advance.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
THE%20STRANGERS'%20CASE
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Dolittle
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen
One-and-a-half out of five stars
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
LAST-16 FIXTURES
Sunday, January 20
3pm: Jordan v Vietnam at Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
6pm: Thailand v China at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: Iran v Oman at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Monday, January 21
3pm: Japan v Saudi Arabia at Sharjah Stadium
6pm: Australia v Uzbekistan at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: UAE v Kyrgyzstan at Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tuesday, January 22
5pm: South Korea v Bahrain at Rashid Stadium, Dubai
8pm: Qatar v Iraq at Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday
AC Milan v Sampdoria (2.30pm kick-off UAE)
Atalanta v Udinese (5pm)
Benevento v Parma (5pm)
Cagliari v Hellas Verona (5pm)
Genoa v Fiorentina (5pm)
Lazio v Spezia (5pm)
Napoli v Crotone (5pm)
Sassuolo v Roma (5pm)
Torino v Juventus (8pm)
Bologna v Inter Milan (10.45pm)
The Bio
Favourite holiday destination: Either Kazakhstan or Montenegro. I’ve been involved in events in both countries and they are just stunning.
Favourite book: I am a huge of Robin Cook’s medical thrillers, which I suppose is quite apt right now. My mother introduced me to them back home in New Zealand.
Favourite film or television programme: Forrest Gump is my favourite film, that’s never been up for debate. I love watching repeats of Mash as well.
Inspiration: My late father moulded me into the man I am today. I would also say disappointment and sadness are great motivators. There are times when events have brought me to my knees but it has also made me determined not to let them get the better of me.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
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