The decision by Twitter to remove legacy verified checkmarks for individual and verified organizations has caused quite a stir on the social media platform. The move, which was announced by Twitter CEO Elon Musk on 12 April, means that users with a blue checkmark on their account will now have to pay to retain it. The only way to keep the blue checkmark is by subscribing to Twitter Blue, which is priced differently for each region and based on how users sign up.
In the United States, Twitter Blue costs $11 a month or $114.99 a year for iOS or Android users and $8 a month or $84 a year for web users. In India, the price for Twitter Blue is ₹900 for iOS monthly, web monthly is ₹650 while yearly pricing for iOS is ₹9400. For Android users, monthly pricing is ₹900 while yearly pricing is ₹9,400. In order to retain the blue tick, Twitter Verified account has shared an update saying, “To remain verified on Twitter, individuals can sign up for Twitter Blue here."
Twitter has also introduced Verified Organizations, a new way for organizations and their affiliates to distinguish themselves on the platform. This new feature allows vetted organizations to be in full control of vetting and verifying accounts they’re affiliated with. Accounts affiliated with the organization will receive an affiliate badge on their profile with the organization’s logo and will be featured on the organization’s Twitter profile, indicating their affiliation. All organizations are vetted before they can join Verified Organizations.
The decision to introduce paid verification comes as Musk seeks to generate much-needed revenue for Twitter. The social media platform has also launched a program for businesses and organizations to charge $1,000 per month for verification badges (gold for brands, companies and nonprofits; grey for governments).
Twitter first introduced verified accounts in 2009 to help users identify that celebrities, politicians, companies and brands, news organizations, and other accounts of public interest were genuine and not impostors or parody accounts. The company did not previously charge for verification, but with the introduction of Twitter Blue and Verified Organizations, this has changed.
Musk's decision to make the switch to paid verification has been met with mixed reactions. While some users are unhappy about having to pay to retain their blue checkmarks, others believe it is a necessary step to combat spam and fake accounts on the platform.
In a recent interview with the BBC, Musk acknowledged that running Twitter has been "quite a rollercoaster" and admitted to making "many mistakes" along the way. One of those mistakes was the decision to label the BBC's Twitter account as "government-funded media". Musk has since agreed to change the designation on the broadcaster's Twitter handle to "publicly funded" after the BBC objected.
Overall, Twitter's decision to introduce paid verification is a significant change for the platform. It remains to be seen how users will react to the new policy and whether it will have the desired effect of combating spam and fake accounts.