Twitter officially launching $8 'verification subscription' on App Store

A view of Twitter's own verified social media account.
(Image credit: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Twitter over the weekend began advertising its revamped 'Twitter Blue' platform, the controversial subscription service that will allow users to pay $8 a month to have their accounts verified.

An update to Twitter is now available in the Apple App Store confirming that users who pay the $8 fee will be able to receive a verified blue checkmark on their account, CNBC reported. The update is now listed as available for users in the U.S., Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

"The new Blue isn't live yet — the sprint to our launch continues but some folks may see us making updates because we are testing ... in real-time," Crawford tweeted.

The plan to allow users to pay for verification has been controversial, particularly due to the rise of misinformation seen on the platform since Musk's takeover.

There have especially been concerns about the validity of verification in the lead-up to the midterm elections, with critics saying it will make it harder to source accurate information on Twitter. NPR reported that the company has not rolled out any requirements for confirming a user's identity prior to becoming verified, and noted that Twitter's App Store update even said any users could become verified "just like the celebrities, companies, and politicians you already follow."

Explore More
Justin Klawans, The Week US

Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.