SAN FRANCISCO

Twitter has introduced a subscription service for $7.99 a month that features a blue examine now given solely to verified accounts as new proprietor Elon Musk works to overtake the platform’s verification system simply forward of U.S. midterm elections.

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In an replace to Apple iOS gadgets out there within the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the U.Ok., Twitter mentioned customers who “join now” for the brand new “Twitter Blue with verification” can obtain the blue examine subsequent to their names “identical to the celebrities, firms and politicians you already observe.”

However Twitter worker Esther Crawford tweeted Saturday that the “new Blue isn’t reside but, the dash to our launch continues however some people may even see us making updates as a result of we’re testing and pushing adjustments in real-time.” Verified accounts didn’t seem like shedding their checks to date.

It was not instantly clear when the subscription would go reside. Crawford instructed The Related Press in a Twitter message that it’s coming “quickly nevertheless it hasn’t launched but.” Twitter didn’t instantly reply to a message searching for remark.

Anybody with the ability to get the blue examine might result in confusion and the rise of disinformation forward of Tuesday’s elections, however Musk tweeted Saturday in response to a query concerning the danger of impostors impersonating verified profiles, akin to politicians and election officers, that “Twitter will droop the account making an attempt impersonation and maintain the cash!”

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“So if scammers wish to do that 1,000,000 occasions, that’s only a entire bunch of free cash,” he mentioned.

However many concern widespread layoffs that started Friday might intestine the guardrails of content material moderation and verification on the social platform that public companies, election boards, police departments and information retailers use to maintain individuals reliably knowledgeable.

The change will finish Twitter’s present verification system, which was launched in 2009 to stop impersonations of high-profile accounts akin to celebrities and politicians. Twitter now has about 423,000 verified accounts, a lot of them rank-and-file journalists from across the globe that the corporate verified no matter what number of followers they’d.

Specialists have raised grave issues about upending the platform’s verification system that, whereas not good, has helped Twitter’s 238 million every day customers decide whether or not accounts they get data from are genuine. Present verified accounts embrace celebrities, athletes and influencers, together with authorities companies and politicians worldwide, journalists and information retailers, activists, companies and types, and Musk himself.

“He is aware of the blue examine has worth, and he’s making an attempt to use it shortly,” mentioned Jennifer Grygiel, a social media knowledgeable and affiliate professor of communications at Syracuse College. “He must earn the belief of the individuals earlier than he can promote them something. Why would you purchase a automobile from a salesman that you recognize has primarily proved to be chaotic?”

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The replace Twitter made to the iOS model of its app doesn’t point out verification as a part of the brand new blue examine system.

Thus far, the replace will not be out there on Android gadgets.

Musk, who had earlier mentioned he needs to “confirm all people” on Twitter, has floated that public figures could be recognized in methods apart from the blue examine. Presently, as an example, authorities officers are recognized with textual content underneath names stating they’re posting from an official authorities account.

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President Joe Biden’s @POTUS account, for instance, says in grey letters it belongs to a “United States authorities official.”

Seven-time Components One champion Lewis Hamilton, who has 7.8 million Twitter followers, instructed the AP, “I might truly simply delete my Twitter account, I by no means use it. I discover it actually wholesome to delete social media from my telephone for durations of time.”

“Nevertheless it’s additionally a extremely highly effective instrument to attach with individuals, so I admire that and I attempt to use it as that and never as one thing that’s veering me astray of the journey that I’m on in life,” he mentioned.

The announcement comes a day after Twitter started shedding staff to chop prices and as extra firms are pausing promoting on the platform as a cautious company world waits to see how the platform will function underneath its new proprietor.

About half of the corporate’s workers of seven,500 was let go, tweeted Yoel Roth, Twitter’s head of security and integrity.

He mentioned the corporate’s front-line content material moderation workers was the group the least affected by the job cuts and that “efforts on election integrity , together with dangerous misinformation that may suppress the vote and combatting state-backed data operations , stay a prime precedence.”

Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey took blame for the job losses.

“I personal the accountability for why everyone seems to be on this scenario: I grew the corporate dimension too shortly,” he tweeted Saturday. “I apologize for that.”

Musk tweeted late Friday that there was no selection however to chop jobs “when the corporate is shedding over $4M/day.” He didn’t present particulars on the every day losses at Twitter and mentioned staff who misplaced their jobs had been supplied three months’ pay as severance.

He additionally mentioned Twitter has already seen “an enormous drop in income” as advertisers face stress from activists to get off the platform, which closely depends on promoting to generate income.

United Airways on Saturday turned the most recent main model to pause promoting on Twitter, becoming a member of firms together with Normal Motors, REI, Normal Mills and Audi.

Musk tried to reassure advertisers final week, saying Twitter wouldn’t grow to be a “free-for-all hellscape” due to what he calls his dedication to free speech.

However issues stay about whether or not a lighter contact on content material moderation at Twitter will lead to customers sending out extra offensive tweets. That would harm firms’ manufacturers if their commercials seem subsequent to them.

U.N. Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Saturday urged Musk to “guarantee human rights are central to the administration of Twitter.” In an open letter, Turk mentioned reviews that the corporate’s entire human rights group and far of the moral AI group had been laid off was not “an encouraging begin.”

“Like all firms, Twitter wants to grasp the harms related to its platform and take steps to handle them,” Turk mentioned. “Respect for our shared human rights ought to set the guardrails for the platform’s use and evolution.”

In the meantime, Twitter can not merely minimize prices to develop income, and Musk wants to search out methods to lift extra income, mentioned Dan Ives, an analyst with Wedbush. However which may be simpler mentioned than finished with the brand new subscription program for blue checks.

“Customers have gotten this without spending a dime,” Ives mentioned. “There could also be huge pushback.”

He expects 20% to 25% of Twitter’s verified customers to enroll initially. The stakes are excessive for Musk and Twitter to get this proper early and for signups to work easily, he added.

“You don’t have a second likelihood to make a primary impression,” Ives mentioned. “It’s been a train-wreck first week for Musk proudly owning the Twitter platform. Now you’ve minimize 50% (of the workforce). There are questions on simply the soundness of the platform, and advertisers are watching this with a eager eye.”