Twitter’s new policy of selling its verified badge, which was before a sign of trust and a symbol of valid information, has received widespread criticism. Soon after it was introduced, multiple bad actors purchased the Twitter Blue subscription to get the blue tick and raised hell by impersonating another individual or brand. The likes of Eli Lilly lost billions after one such distasteful stunt. Musk course corrected and announced that identity verification would be mandatory for Twitter Blue
My Twitter account says I’ve subscribed to Twitter Blue. I haven’t.
My Twitter account says I’ve given a phone number. I haven’t.— Stephen King (@StephenKing) April 20, 2023
However, it appears that Twitter did leave the door open for some leniency. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company has “offered some organizations a special deal to be verified at no cost.” However, not many people are a fan of paying a fee to keep the “vanity” badge, which they say has now lost its true meaning. Media outlets, journalists, as well as celebrities, have made their disdain evident.
Twitter, on the other hand, has hedged its hopes of a financial revival on subscriptions. However, it appears that the company hasn’t tasted much success with those plans. Sensor Tower data suggests Twitter only made around $11 million in three months since its relaunch, according to TechCrunch. Those are not particularly hopeful numbers, especially for a company that was purchased for $44 billion and has lost over half its value in less than a year.
