According to reports, Twitter is delaying changes to verification until after election day
According to the swources, Twitter is delaying changes to its user verification mechanism until after Tuesday’s midterm elections. After buying the platform, Elon Musk made a swift decision to charge for the blue verification checkmarks and make a number of other contentious modifications.
Any account that has a $7.99/month Twitter Blue subscription may be verified using the new system. According to the sources, the modifications will now take effect following Tuesday’s midterm elections.
Users who match the criteria for credibility are currently given blue checkmarks. There is debate over whether it will become more difficult for users to distinguish between legal accounts as a result of the move to start charging for verification.
Critics assert that the action may increase false information on the website in the run-up to elections, medical emergencies, or other significant announcements or events.
The concern with $8 verification for everyone, according to the sources, who cover disinformation and extremism, “isn’t that someone would imitate Joe Biden.” The fear is that they may pose as a powerless person in a position of authority, such as an election official, a CDC employee, or a local news reporter, and wreak havoc. Much less of a fixable issue.
According to Chris Krebs, a former senior cybersecurity officer, allowing users to “purchase the blue tick” by integrating verification in the paid plan will “create a very chaotic situation” on the site and may increase the credibility of foreign players, election skeptics, and other potential bad actors.
It allows a larger group of influencers, clout hunters, election deniers, and [foreign actors] access to the information space. According to recent sources, Russia, China, and Iran are back to their old tactics, which will lead to a highly turbulent scenario, warned Krebs.
The controversial action was defended by Musk on the stage, who claimed that “widespread verification will democratize journalism & empower the voice of the people” and that “Twitter needs to become by far the most reliable source of information about the globe.”
In an effort to allay concerns about impersonation, he has also insisted that Twitter will prohibit impersonators who fail to clearly identify their parody.
When The Hill contacted Twitter for comment regarding the implementation of these verification measures, they did not react right away. According to a recent survey, 43%, of their financial situation has been worse than two years ago.
The sources claim that Musk has assumed the position of the platform’s main moderator amid worries over content moderation and a purported increase in racist and antisemitic Tweets following Musk’s takeover.
The entrepreneur launched significant layoffs as part of his revamp of Twitter, defending his decision to fire almost half of the company’s employees despite the backlash. Musk also declared his intention to lift lifetime restrictions on users like former President Trump.
