Twitter has relaunched its Blue Subscription service, which gives users who sign up a blue tick badge, the ability to edit tweets and a range of other features in exchange for a £6.50 monthly fee.
The service had initially launched last month but was paused after it was flooded with bad actors who paid for verification and then posed as public figures and businesses, often posting potentially offensive and abusive content.
Twitter has said it will allow users to change their account handle and display name under the new system, but they will lose their verified badge until Twitter has reviewed their account again.
A key policy of new Twitter owner Elon Musk, the subscription service is a way of diversifying the company’s revenue stream and making the verification process fairer – with the blue badges having previously been given to accounts Twitter deemed notable.
Musk has argued that the system would help combat spam on the platform because verified accounts will have their replies to other posts promoted above other content.
Musk has changed the pricing for Blue ahead of the relaunch, now charging those who subscribe on Apple’s iOS platform £9 a month as a way of offsetting the commission Apple charges for purchases made through it’s App Store.
In addition, Twitter has confirmed it will begin replacing the grey “official” labels on prominent accounts with a gold tick badge for businesses and a grey tick badge for government accounts.
The ability to sign up to Twitter Blue is expected to begin appearing for users in the UK later today (Monday).
