Elon Musk says Twitter will 'revamp' user verification process amid user complaints

Twitter's new owner Elon Musk on Sunday said that the microblogging platform would change its user verification procedure. The Tesla CEO closed the Twitter acquisition deal for 44 billion dollars on October 28. Just days after taking control of one of the most significant social media platforms, Musk said, in response to a Twitter user who asked about the verification process, “The whole verification process is being revamped right now.” 

Besides this, Twitter users who have the coveted blue verified tick mark on their accounts may soon have to pay to maintain that status. According to The Verge report, Elon Musk has instructed his employees to launch paid Twitter verification.  

Twitter verification process

According to individuals familiar with the subject and internal correspondence viewed by The Verge, the instruction is to convert Twitter Blue, the company's optional $4.99 per month membership that unlocks more services, into a more costly subscription that also verifies users. As per reports, Twitter has been intending to charge $19.99 for the new Twitter Blue membership, The Verge reported.  

Verified users would have 90 days to subscribe under the existing arrangement in order to keep their blue tick mark. As per a Cnet report, some people view the blue badge as a symbol of status. Profiles must be "notable, authentic, and active" in order to qualify. This covers accounts made by representatives of powerful corporations, news outlets, journalists, activists, celebrities, and athletes, among others. 

In addition to this, according to Elon Musk, there won't be any immediate changes made to Twitter's content moderation rules. Referring to it, he said, "To be super clear, we have not yet made any changes to Twitter's content moderation policies". Musk also mentioned the formation of a committee to decide on important moderation matters for the microblogging system. 

Furthermore, taking to Twitter, he said, “Twitter will be forming a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints.”  

Senior Twitter staff have declared their exits after Elon Musk took over the firm after prolonged delays to the purchase. Musk has fired a number of senior Twitter workers, such as the firm's CEO Parag Agrawal and Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal, according to a Washington Post report that quoted three people with knowledge of the issue.  

Notably, Musk offered to buy Twitter in April but subsequently withdrew the proposal in July. Twitter filed a lawsuit against Musk in the Delaware Court of Chancery in reaction to his decision, attempting to persuade him to accept the original offer. In October, Musk announced his intention to buy Twitter for the initially set $44 billion price. 

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