In order to keep gold checkmarks on Twitter, businesses may soon have to dish out $1,000 per month to the company.
Sources cited by The Information and social media consultant Matt Navarra indicate that the social media platform is working on the new payment structure, which would also include gold badges for affiliated accounts for an extra $50 per month.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk took over Twitter last fall, and swiftly announced plans to change the site’s verification structure. Before Musk, users could apply for verification with a blue checkmark badge that helped prevent them from being impersonated. This verification process was free.
Now, users can pay around $8 per month for a blue check mark and no verification process is required. According to The Information, the initial rollout in November came with a wave of impersonation accounts. It then re-launched in December with gold badges for brands – such as the one seen here on KYW’s profile – to prevent impersonation.
“We’re replacing the ‘official’ label with a gold checkmark on some business accounts on Twitter,” said the company, which also rolled out other labels.
However, internal messages viewed by The Information indicate that those gold badges will be lost if account holders don’t pay the proposed $1,000 fee. This pricing structure was still being finalized and could change, said the outlet. No date has been set yet for the change.
Messages shared by Matt Navarra on Twitter also appear to confirm the plans for gold checkmark badges going forward.
“Twitter is reportedly emailing businesses offering gold check mark verification for $1000 PER MONTH” he said in a post of a screenshot that appears to be from Evan Jones of Twitter. Navarra said a second source confirmed the information.
“The pricey subscription is just one of the many changes CEO Elon Musk has implemented in an attempt to boost revenue and chip away at Twitter’s $12.5 billion debt,” said The Verge of the gold checkmark badge news. Musk also announced mass layoffs at Twitter after he took over the company.
Although accounts that were verified before the Musk takeover still have their blue badges, they now have the message “This is a legacy verified account. It may or may not be notable.” Musk said in a Feb. 3 tweet that those badges would be “sunset” over the coming months.
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