Paid blue ticks to be back by next weekend, says Elon Musk days after halting new verification process

There was once a time when genuine users with a considerable following or credentials earned the blue tick on Twitter, which was coveted despite being just another mark of social media validation. But since Elon Musk took over with his crusade against bots, Twitter verification has become an amusing topic and ironically fake accounts were able to buy blue ticks for $8 a month under his new scheme. Unsurprisingly Twitter had to pull the plug on paid verification after the debacle, but with knee-jerk reactions and chaos reigning supreme, Musk has promised that it will be back by the next weekend.

Chaotic times at Twitter

The self-proclaimed chief twit made the announcement in response to a tweet, days after his shot at absolute free speech went way off the mark. Known for his cryptic tweets and Twitter spats since long before he bought the platform, Musk has also warned his employees about the possibility of Twitter going bankrupt. While he fired half of the 7,500 employees at Twitter, top executives including the ad boss and diversity chief have also quit, as several brands have halted advertising.

Less staff, more workload

Through viral images of his employees sleeping in office, social media also received confirmation of reports that they were having to work 12 hours a day. Musk, who was himself at the Twitter headquarter late at night, also sent a mail of appreciation for staff working long hours. But he also warned them of hard times ahead, and reiterated his belief in working from the same location, right after he appreciated those working from home.

Can his tweets be trusted?

Musk’s tweets have previously caused trouble for his firm Tesla in the past and affected stock prices as well as crypto rates. But after buying blue ticks for $8, imposters caused bad publicity for major firms, and one also triggered a drop in stock prices of pharma company Eli Lilly, by declaring that insulin is free.

Published on: Sunday, November 13, 2022, 12:54 PM IST