As Twitter’s legacy blue check mark system finally comes to an end, the social network’s new paid-for verification system is causing more than a little chaos, with CEO Elon Musk himself stepping in to pay for some celebrities’ verification when they refuse to do so.
However, another little nugget to emerge from the carnage today is that anyone looking to advertise on Twitter will now seemingly have to have a verified account.
Several Twitter users, including social media guru Matt Navarra, have posted screenshots of an email reportedly sent by Twitter, which states that starting from April 21 (today), verified checkmarks are required to continue running ads on the platform.
The email reads:
Building a better Twitter through verification
Hello!
Starting April 21, your @account must have a verified checkmark or subscribe to either Twitter Blue or Verified Organizations to continue running ads on Twitter. Business accounts spending in excess of $1000 per month already have gold checks or will soon, and they’ll continue to enjoy access to advertising without interruption at this time.
This change aligns with Twitter’s broader verification strategy: to elevate the quality of content on Twitter and enhance your experience as a user and advertiser. This approach also supports our ongoing efforts to reduce fraudulent accounts and bots.
Subscribing to either of these services means you have been verified by Twitter as a real person and/or business.
Amongst other features, you’ll have a more visible organic presence and a broader range of creation tools. We’re excited for you to get started and to benefit from a superior Twitter experience.
For Twitter Blue, sign up here.
For Verified Organizations, apply here.
While Musk has been pushing subscriptions as a core money-driver as advertisers fled the platform, it’s clear that Twitter still wants (and needs) advertising dollars. The platform’s top advertisers, those spending $1,000 each month, already receive an official gold check-mark gratis, indicating that they are an official business account.
There is nothing official yet on Twitter’s ads account pages to indicate that only verified accounts will be able to advertise, but there is some sense in requiring verification for advertisers if it reduces spam or deters other bad actors from the platform. However, for this to be properly effective, it would surely need rigorous vetting beyond requiring a credit card and phone number, while the $8 monthly fee is not a major deterrent in itself.
Moving forward, it seems that anyone wanting to post an ad or promote a tweet will have to cough up $8/month for Twitter Blue, or $1,000 per month to be recognized as a verified organization. One exception here will likely be accounts with a grey checkmark, which are reserved for official government and related accounts, such as agencies, embassies, parliaments and so on.
At any rate, it’s difficult to see how this move will do anything other than dissuade advertising spend on Twitter.
TechCrunch reached out to Twitter for comment, but at the time of writing we have yet to receive a response (aside from the customary poop emoji, of course).
Twitter seemingly now requires all advertisers to have a verified checkmark by Paul Sawers originally published on TechCrunch
Twitter seemingly now requires all advertisers to have a verified checkmark
Архив рубрики: twitter blue
Twitter Blue to relaunch with actual verification process, higher price for Apple users
Twitter is officially bringing back the Twitter Blue subscription Monday, starting in five countries before rapidly expanding to others, according to Esther Crawford, director of product management at Twitter. Web sign-ups will cost $8 per month and iOS sign ups will cost $11 per month for “access to subscriber-only features, including the blue checkmark,” per a tweet from the company account.
Android users can purchase on the web and use their subscription on their phones, said Crawford. The higher cost for iOS sign ups might be a move by Twitter to offset the cost of Apple’s 30% commission for in-app purchased subscriptions, or simply to deter users from subscribing through the Apple Store at all, following a Twitter storm from an angry Elon Musk over allegations that Apple was cutting advertising on the platform.
we’re relaunching @TwitterBlue on Monday – subscribe on web for $8/month or on iOS for $11/month to get access to subscriber-only features, including the blue checkmark pic.twitter.com/DvvsLoSO50
— Twitter (@Twitter) December 10, 2022
Twitter had previously attempted to democratize the prestige of the blue checkmark — once used for verifying trustworthy and noteworthy accounts — by making it available to anyone willing to shell out $8 per month, verification be damned. The result was a slew of users buying a checkmark to impersonate other accounts and generally cause mischief. (See: Fake-pharma company Eli Lilly tweeting that insulin is now free and fake-Tesla tweeting, “Our cars do not respect school zone speed limits. Fuck them kids.”)
Crawford tweeted over the weekend that Twitter has now added a review step before applying a blue checkmark to an account in order to combat impersonation, which she says is against the Twitter Rules.
With the relaunch of Twitter’s subscription offering, the social media platform will further color-code timelines by introducing gold checkmarks for businesses and, soon, gray checkmarks for government and “multilateral accounts,” whatever those are.
“Businesses who previously had relationships with Twitter will receive goldchecks on Monday,” tweeted Crawford. “We will soon open this up to more businesses via a new process.”
Because Twitter is still really testing this feature out, the company warned that subscribers who change their handle, display name or profile photo will temporarily lose the blue checkmark until their account is reviewed again.
Subscribers will be able to edit their tweets, upload 1080p videos and have access to reader mode, alongside their blue checkmarks, the company said. They’ll also have their tweets “rocketed” to the top of replies, mentions and search and will be spammed with 50% fewer ads.
Schrödinger’s blue check: According to Twitter, I may or may not be notable
Twitter Blue to relaunch with actual verification process, higher price for Apple users by Rebecca Bellan originally published on TechCrunch
Twitter Blue to relaunch with actual verification process, higher price for Apple users