The $8 ‘blue check’ for Twitter verification plan is delayed until after the midterm elections, according to Elon Musk
A source with knowledge of the decision confirmed to CNN that Twitter will delay account verifications until after the midterm elections.
The decision to push back the new feature comes one day after the platform launched an updated version of its iOS app that promises to allow users who pay a monthly subscription fee to get a blue checkmark on their profiles, a feature that CEO Elon Musk has proposed as a way to fight spam on the platform.
It was announced on Apple’s App Store that Twitter Blue verification will now cost $7.99 per month, just like the celebrities, companies, and politicians you already follow. In the past, the checkmark has been used to verify the legitimacy of government officials, prominent figures, and journalists.
According to CNN’s testing on Saturday afternoon, the rollout was not complete before Sunday’s decision. In the public profile of CNN’s newly created Twitter account, the checkmark did not appear. Additionally, Twitter still charged $4.99, an outdated price.
There has been widespread backlash against the idea of charging users for verification, which prompted the decision to delay the rollout. Over the weekend, some celebrities posed as Musk on the platform and revealed a flaw in the “Blue Check” program.
