Twitter could make keeping the “verified user” badge conditional on paying a monthly subscription fee

According to as-yet-unconfirmed information, Twitter will change its “verified user” policy so that only Twitter Blue subscribers will be able to enjoy this “privilege”.

Also found on other platforms, such as Instagram, the “verified user” badge added to the right of the profile picture is said to communicate essential information to followers. Namely that this is the official account of the celebrity/personality they are following and not one of the countless clones. In other words, the benefits are both on the side of the celebrity who is entitled to use that identity, and for the users of that social media platform, who avoid falling into the trap of various scammers and opportunists who use the fame of that celebrity for their own gain.

But if the rumours that surfaced immediately after the confirmation of Twitter’s move into Elon Musk’s portfolio are confirmed, then the change could be a blow against the very beneficial measures promised by the SpaceX chief.

The move could be justified by Elon Musk’s own stated need to make the microblogging platform more profitable, possibly redeeming the $44 billion paid in the not-so-favored acquisition for the new owner more quickly.

Of course, before we take the rumor for granted, we should also consider the Twitter executives Musk hasn’t fired (yet), who apparently came to this decision following discussions in the absence of the new CEO.

For $5, a Twitter subscription already lets you retract accidentally posted tweets, as much as customize your icons and navigation bar. Probably the most “noticeable” change you’ll see for Blue subscribers is the ability to change your profile icon to an NFT, which is displayed with a different shaped border than the usual circle. Even the ads don’t disappear altogether, just the ones in the Blue Publisher network Twitter feed.

Apparently, keeping the Twitter Verified badge would come with a “special” $20/month subscription. Most likely, it will soon be debunked as bogus, the amount requested far exceeding any expectations that could be considered reasonable at the American company, whoever owns it.