Elon Musk’s social media platform Twitter will introduce an “Official” label for choose verified accounts together with main media shops and governments when it launches its new $8 premium subscription product, its early stage merchandise govt Esther Crawford mentioned on Tuesday.

Crawford additionally confirmed that the revamped Twitter Blue subscription product, which can permit paid customers to hold blue test marks on their accounts, won’t truly confirm customers’ identities.

The lack of ID verification is more likely to increase issues about the potential of individuals impersonating public figures.

Already, such issues have induced Twitter to carry off on launching the brand new model of Twitter Blue till after the US midterm elections on Tuesday, tweeted Yoel Roth, Twitter’s head of security and integrity.

Fake accounts for presidency officers are a recurring problem for Twitter globally, in line with sources conversant in the matter and researchers.

Not all Twitter accounts that had been beforehand verified with a blue test mark will get the “Official” label and the label just isn’t out there for buy, Crawford mentioned.

Accounts that can obtain the official label embody governments, business firms, enterprise companions, main media shops, publishers and another public figures, she tweeted.

The introduction of a brand new label alongside the present test marks “creates a confusing system” the place some, however not all, beforehand verified accounts might be deemed official, mentioned Jason Goldman, a former Twitter board member who served as head of product in its early years.

“It’s a complete mess,” he mentioned.

The official label comes after an inner push by Twitter coverage executives, who had sturdy issues about authorities officers world wide being unlikely and unwilling to pay for verified test marks, one supply with data of the matter advised Reuters.

Twitter, which has misplaced many members of its communication staff, didn’t reply to a request for additional remark.

Crawford added on Tuesday that Twitter will “continue to experiment with ways to differentiate between account types.”

© Thomson Reuters 2022