Twitter has started giving users who sign up for $8 a month a verified checkmark, days after new owner Elon Musk floated the idea of a different verification system.
“Power to the people,” Twitter said in the version notes for its latest update that was released on Saturday. “Your account will get a blue checkmark, just like the celebrities, companies, and politicians you already follow.”
Alongside the new verification system, Twitter is promising to halve the number of ads subscribers see “soon”.
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Big year for Elon Musk as he closes $44bn Twitter deal — in pictures
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After months of negotiations, Tesla chief executive Elon Musk finally purchased Twitter on October 27. AFP -
The billionaire took control of microblogging platform and fired its top executives, including chief executive Parag Agrawal, left, as well as the company's chief financial officer and its head of legal policy, trust and safety. AFP -
Elon Musk entering Twitter headquarters carrying a sink through the lobby area on Wednesday, October 26, 2022. Musk posted a video Wednesday showing him strolling into Twitter headquarters ahead of a Friday deadline to close his $44 billion deal to buy the company. AP -
Mr Musk and his children Damian, Kai, Saxon and Griffin met Pope Francis in July at the Vatican. AFP -
Mr Musk speaks by video in June to the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha. Bloomberg -
Mr Musk answers questions at the Qatar Economic Forum. Bloomberg -
Mr Musk arrives at the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City in May. Reuters -
Mr Musk and his mother Maye Musk arrive at the Met Gala in May. AFP -
Mother and son pose and laugh on the Met Gala red carpet. EPA -
Mr Musk waves at the Met Gala. Reuters -
Mr Musk joins in online at the 'Financial Times' Future of the Car Summit in May. Financial Times -
Mr Musk attends the opening ceremony of the new Tesla Gigafactory for electric cars in Gruenheide, Germany, in March. Reuters -
Mr Musk at the Tesla factory in Berlin, Germany, in March. AP -
Mr Musk speaks at SpaceX's Starbase centre in South Texas in February. AFP -
The entrepreneur shakes hands with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in Porto Feliz, Brazil, in May. AP -
Mr Bolsonaro and Mr Musk greet each other in Sao Paulo. Reuters -
Indonesian President Joko Widodo meets Mr Musk at the SpaceX launch site in Boca Chica, Texas, in May. Reuters -
Mr Musk shows Mr Widodo his mobile phone during a tour of the SpaceX launch site in Texas. Reuters
Also coming are the ability to post longer videos and get priority ranking in replies, mentions and searches, the company said.
The latest update demonstrates how quickly Mr Musk is moving to transform the social media platform that he purchased for $44 billion.
In the week since he formally took control of the site, the billionaire has fired nearly half its staff along with most of the top managers.
He has touted the Twitter Blue subscription plan as a way to contend with plummeting ad revenue as well as to weed out bots.
Twitter is pushing ahead with its new verification system at a crucial time, with the US due to hold midterm elections on Tuesday.
The gutting of key teams, including curation and legal policy, has prompted current and former employees to question whether the site will have the resources to keep crucial systems like content moderation running effectively heading into the midterms.
With the new subscription plan, anyone would be able to pay $8 to have their account look more legitimate, adding a risk they could impersonate candidates or government entities.
In response to tweets criticising the new system, Mr Musk said that relying on a payment system and Apple or Android is a much better way to ensure verification.
Twitter Blue is currently available only for users in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK, although Mr Musk on Saturday tweeted that the service would eventually be available worldwide.
