The subscription-based blue tick verification labels were suspended by Musk-led Twitter on Friday because they weren’t working. When the service was first introduced, many phoney “verified” accounts appeared on Twitter, forcing the social media platform to reconsider its decision to charge users $8 for that premium blue tick verification badge.
Before Tesla co-founder Elon Musk acquired the social media giant in a $44 billion takeover deal, blue tick verification was given to well-known figures in a variety of fields, including entertainment, politics, journalism, etc., to prevent impersonation. However, the company decided to change the verification policy and decided to provide blue tick to anyone who is willing to pay $8 for the service. Following the launch of the service, numerous fake accounts—including those of Elon Musk’s own Tesla and SpaceX—appeared with a blue tick. Even a fake account tweeted that “insulin is free,” forcing the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly & Co., to issue an apology.
