Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson | Photo by Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
The Elon Musk-led Twitter is reportedly planning big layoffs and a $20 monthly charge for any user who wants to be verified or keep their current account verification.
According to The Verge, Musk ordered employees to raise the price of the Twitter Blue subscription from $4.99 a month to $19.99 and require anyone with a verified account to subscribe in order to keep their blue verification checkmark. Citing "people familiar with the matter and internal correspondence," The Verge article said the plan is that "verified users would have 90 days to subscribe [to Twitter Blue] or lose their blue checkmark. Employees working on the project were told on Sunday that they need to meet a deadline of November 7th to launch the feature or they will be fired."
Turning verification into a paid feature could make it easier for scammers to impersonate real people. As Twitter's website notes, "the blue Verified badge on Twitter lets people know that an account of public interest is authentic. To receive the blue badge, your account must be authentic, notable, and active." Corporations might see the charge as part of the cost of doing business, but individuals are less likely to pay that much just to keep their blue checks.
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