Elon Musk's $8 Twitter Blue subscription with verification won't be arriving just yet.
A recent internal memo mentioned that those working on the new Twitter Blue had decided to move its launch until after the upcoming Midterm elections, per the New York Times.
You may remember that Musk announced the new Twitter Blue subscription on Nov. 2, which gives people the "verified" status and its blue check badge, among other features.
Twitter Blue With Verification Delay Details
A manager working on the new Twitter Blue subscription service mentioned in the internal memo that those working on it had decided to move its launch on Nov. 9 - the day after the upcoming mid-term elections.
The reason behind the delay is concerning as far as misinformation is involved. The new Twitter Blue subscription service allows people to get their Twitter accounts verified, along with the blue check badge that signifies their new status as long as they pay $8.
However, now that anyone willing to pay $8 can get the verified status, people posing as politicians on Twitter's platform can have their troll accounts verified.
If Twitter went through its initial plan of releasing the new Twitter Blue subscription service on Nov. 7, it would cause confusion among the people as they would be unable to tell which account belonged to actual politicians and which belonged to trolls.
Some celebrities, such as Sarah Silverman and Valerie Bertinelli, revealed a flaw in Twitter's new verification status by impersonating Musk during the weekend.
The stunt, which involved copying Musk's Twitter profile picture, cover image, and name, revealed how easily exploited Twitter's new way of giving out its "verified" status and blue check badge is, per CNN.
"The blue checkmark simply meant your identity was verified. Scammers would have a harder time impersonating you. That no longer applies. Good luck out there!" Bertinelli tweeted.
According to a report from The Verge, notable people who wish to get their Twitter accounts verified previously had to prove their account belonged to them first to ward off impersonation attempts.
Additionally, Twitter previously had certain rules in place that prevented users with parody or unofficial fan accounts from having their accounts verified.
Addressing Impersonators
As of press time, it isn't clear how Musk nor Twitter will address impersonators on Twitter's platform. However, app research Nima Owji spotted an "Official account" label that could help people tell which account is legitimate and which one is from an impersonator.
Owji also revealed that Twitter Blue subscribers' checkmarks would have a popup that shows the source of their status.
Any name change at all will cause temporary loss of verified checkmark
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 6, 2022
Additionally, Musk tweeted on Nov. 6 that any Twitter handles that impersonate someone without adding "parody" will be permanently suspended from the platform.
He also warned that a user changing their name on Twitter would mean the loss of their blue check badge and "verified" status.
Musk added that these new rules will be enforced without warning and will be clearly identified as a condition to subscribe to Twitter Blue.
