Many things have changed on Twitter since Elon Musk took the reins of this popular social network. One of the decisions he's made is to revive an old account verification project called Twitter Blue . In this post, we'll explain exactly what it is, because if you're a regular user, you'll find it interesting.
At the moment, Twitter Blue will only be accessible to users in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. And only for those who have mobile phones that work with the iOS operating system. In any case, keep reading because we will provide you with information about what, sooner or later, will also end up reaching our country.
The idea of ​​verifying Twitter user accounts has been around for several years. It all goes back to the very beginning of the social network and the appearance of accounts impersonating famous people. The intention was good, but the amount of work required to achieve this goal was enormous, so the project was abandoned.
However, bringing back Twitter Blue was one of the things Elon Musk had in mind when he decided to buy Twitter. And now he's putting it back into action, with the goal of bringing order (if that's even possible) to this effervescent and complex social network.
Twitter Blue Features
The new Twitter Blue comes with new features, many more than those that were included in its first phase. These are some of the most interesting:
Customization options
First, it's worth highlighting the ability to customize both the app icon and the account theme . This is purely an aesthetic feature that doesn't affect the content or functionality of your Twitter account in any way.
Other possibilities to shape our account according to our tastes and preferences are Reading Mode , the option to create folders of items saved from the profile itself, editing tweets already published and much more.
less advertising
This is one advantage of Twitter Blue worth considering: subscribers won't have to put up with so many advertisements on their timeline.
blue check mark
This is perhaps the most important change to Twitter Blue, the one that gives it its true meaning: the blue verification badge . Accounts that display it on their profiles will be verified by Twitter. This means they will be considered "active, notable, and authentic" accounts—a kind of seal of approval.
Twitter also plans to create a new label to identify official accounts, which will be fully compatible with this blue badge. The purpose of this is to allow users to easily distinguish between accounts verified through Twitter Blue and those belonging to public figures, governments, or other organizations.
Also under consideration is the launch of a gold label for official business accounts , verified by Twitter and safe for users.
Two user categories
Although surveys conducted by the social network itself indicate that the verified account label is a measure widely applauded by Twitter users, many have also complained, arguing that it creates two distinct user categories : a superior class and an inferior one, with the resulting tensions between the two groups.
And things can get even more complicated if finally, as contemplated by the new Twitter policy, six different types of accounts are established. But that is yet to come.
Criticism aside, the fact that only Twitter can award these verification blue tags is somehow an interesting incentive for users to engage more and create more content.
Furthermore, the verification mark is equivalent to a certificate of quality and truthfulness , although that (both before and after Elon Musk) will unfortunately always depend on the subjective criteria of the verifiers.
How much does Twitter Blue cost?
This service was originally priced at €4,99. Now, it will be implemented for €7,99 (although a price up to three times higher was leaked to the press) and will include some additional features only available to subscribers.
For now, only Twitter accounts older than 90 days with a verified phone number are eligible for Twitter Blue. When Twitter's new verification team reviews an account, it assigns the blue verification badge, which can be lost if any changes are made to the profile. If this happens, the account must be re-verified.
It remains to be seen if, when Twitter Blue arrives in Europe and finally in Spain, the conditions and rates will be the same. We will be very attentive to everything that happens to be able to tell it here.