A day after Elon Musk-owned Twitter issued widespread layoffs, the corporate started rolling out modifications to its verification system.

Jeff Chiu/AP

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Jeff Chiu/AP

A day after Elon Musk-owned Twitter issued widespread layoffs, the corporate started rolling out modifications to its verification system.

Jeff Chiu/AP

Twitter started promoting the launch of its paid subscription service in Apple’s app retailer on Saturday, following new proprietor Elon Musk’s promised overhaul of the social media platform’s verification system.

The once-free blue test mark given to verified accounts on Twitter will quickly accessible to any Twitter Blue consumer who pays $7.99 per thirty days. The new mannequin is elevating alarm in regards to the penalties the system may have on disinformation forward of the 2022 midterm elections. Since 2009, blue-checked accounts had been distributed to customers via a verification course of as a technique to separate genuine accounts from impersonators.

An replace to the Twitter app on iOS gadgets stated customers who join now can obtain the blue test “just like the celebrities, companies and politicians you already follow.”

Despite the identify of the brand new Twitter Blue characteristic, Twitter has not specified any necessities wanted to confirm a consumer’s authenticity past the month-to-month price.

It’s unclear when paid customers will obtain the brand new test marks subsequent to their names or when verified accounts with no paid subscription are set to lose their verification.

“The new Blue isn’t live yet — the sprint to our launch continues but some folks may see us making updates because we are testing and pushing changes in real-time,” a products team manager on the firm tweeted.

Android telephones are subsequent in line for the subscription rollout, she added, with out specifying the timing.

A day earlier, Twitter laid off half of its workforce to chop prices. Musk said the corporate is shedding greater than $4 million a day.

Meanwhile, Musk’s dedication to advancing his model of free speech on the platform has value the corporate promoting income. The billionaire recently vowed to advertisers that Twitter wouldn’t flip right into a “free-for-all hellscape.”

Musk defined his reasoning for the verification revamp in a tweet on Saturday.

“Far too many legacy ‘verified’ checkmarks were handed out, often arbitrarily, so in reality they are *not* verified,” he wrote. “You can buy as many as you want right now with a Google search. Piggybacking off payment system plus Apple/Android is a much better way to ensure verification.”

Big tech watchdog teams say making modifications to verification requirements so near an election could possibly be complicated or harmful. Fears stay that looser content material moderation guidelines may inflame the sort of hateful rhetoric on the platform that leads to real-world violence.