Confusion Arises as Twitter Announces a New Verification Program
The Twitter verification update is here.
Since Elon Musk took over Twitter, things have changed dramatically. Now, the social media platform has announced the arrival of a new verification program that will enable the marking of official accounts of companies, brands, media outlets, public figures, and government agencies.
This move comes after Musk said that the existing blue tick would become a paid-for feature. It will cost about $US8 ($12.40) per month. Users quickly highlighted that the new official label detailed by Twitter employee Esther Crawford was exactly the same as the original blue tick Musk previously said was a “lords and peasants” system.
When the new system rolls out, any user will be able to pay for the blue tick as a part of the Twitter Blue subscription service. This process will not require ID verification. However, this feature will be disabled if users change their Twitter name. Also, the “official” label will not be available for purchase. Twitter will only assign them.
This move is the latest in Musk’s growing list of changes after taking over the company. He has fired the top executives, made staggering cuts to the company’s workforce, and is apparently planning to set very tight deadlines for new features to be rolled out.
Musk tweeted that his vision for paid-for verification will “democratise journalism.” He previously echoed conservative complaints that the blue tick system gave greater visibility to progressive voices. However, critics of the move say that turning the tick into a status symbol for any paying subscriber will make it useless as an actual verification marker.
Among those criticizing the new move by Twitter is Australia’s eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant. She said that Twitter’s decision to charge money for a verification tick is an easy way for inauthentic accounts to appear trustworthy. She stated, “If you make it a pay-for-play type of proposition, it turns that whole justification for having such a system on its head, which is presumably why Twitter has followed up with a second kind of tick.”
Twitter users have become increasingly hostile towards the Tesla CEO since he took ownership. Despite promising a focus on free speech, some users have complained that racial abuse and targeted harassment still go unchallenged. Also, accounts are being suspended for sharing educational posts on reproductive health. Strange but true!
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