With Elon Musk taking over Twitter, things are moving very quickly on the platform. In a recent announcement, Musk said Twitter users can verify their accounts for just $8 as part of their subscription fees. However, with the midterm elections approaching, the platform has decided to put the verification process on hold for now.
Although testing has already begun, Twitter understands the potential of social media platforms, which is why they want to protect themselves from catching fire.
The midterm elections for the United States will take place on November 8. According to the New York Times, Twitter suspended its subscription services because it believes people may be using it to spread false information by impersonating politicians or government officials. They can even create fake verified accounts of news agencies and use the platform to spread misinformation about inaccurate results that can demotivate voters.
According to Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, a government agency that will oversee security during the midterms, they have not received any threats aimed at disrupting the election; however, they understand the dangers of spreading false information through malicious campaigns directed from international soil.
Former Director of CISA, Chris Krebs, also believes that recent Twitter verification is dangerous to the outcome of the election. Users were creating fake profiles of the owner themselves as verification became so easy; although those accounts were removed from the platform, she pointed out major flaws in the system.
$8 a month can get you a blue check as a sign of a verified account and the number of ads shown will also be reduced. Musk believes this feature can help the app generate a lot of revenue. Musk claims that with this initiative, they can leave YouTube behind in terms of revenue offered to YouTube creators.
Recently, Twitter had to say goodbye to almost half of its employees after Musk fired them, calling it a step towards cutting costs.
Read more: Apple will also benefit from Twitter’s latest verification service
