Twitter to add an ‘official’ mark to large verified accounts

Twitter on Tuesday said it will add gray “official” labels to some high-profile accounts to indicate that they are authentic, the latest twist in new owner Elon Musk’s chaotic overhaul of the company. with the platform’s verification system.

Web’s current system the use of so-called “green checks” that confirm account authenticity will soon disappear for those who don’t pay the monthly fee. The ticks will be available at an undisclosed date to anyone willing to pay subscription $7.99 a month, this will also include some extras, such as fewer ads and the ability to have tweets that give them more visibility than those coming from people who don’t subscribe.

The platform’s current verification system has been in place since 2009 and was created to ensure public and premium accounts are exactly what they claim to be.

Experts have expressed concern that providing the checkmark to anyone for a fee could lead to impersonation and the spread of misinformation and fraud. The gray label — a color that tends to blend into the background whether you use light or dark mode to scroll Twitter — is an obvious compromise. But it could lead to more confusion, as Twitter users, accustomed to the blue checkmark as a sign of authenticity, will now have to look for the less obvious “official” designation.

Esther Crawford, a Twitter employee working on a verification overhaul, said Tuesday on Twitter that the “official” label will be added to the “selected account” when the new system launches.

Crawford, who has recently been the subject of a viral photo shows her sleeping on the floor of the Twitter office while working to fulfill Musk’s deadline.

Crawford said who received label including government accounts, commercial companies, business partners, major mediapublishers and some public figures.

There are about 423,000 verified accounts according to the sending system. Many of them belong to celebrities, businesses and politicians, as well as media.

But a large portion of verified accounts belong to individual journalists, some with small followings at local newspaper and news sites around the world. The idea is to verify reporters so that their identities cannot be used to promote wrong information on Twitter.

Musk previously designated official accounts in a different way than green checks.

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