Twitter Pauses Paid Blue Verification as Impersonators Overwhelm Platform
Twitter suspends sign-ups for its new Blue subscription service after verified imposters cause chaos by masquerading as major corporations and public figures.
Twitter suspends sign-ups for its new Blue subscription service after paid users exploit the verification badge to impersonate celebrities, politicians, and major brands. The option to subscribe disappears from the app's sidebar menu, though an information page remains visible without a working sign-up button.
The sudden pause follows multiple high-profile abuse cases, including a fake Eli Lilly account that falsely announces free insulin and causes significant public confusion. Even Tesla faces a similar impersonation issue, proving that no brand remains safe under the current paid verification system that lacks proper identity checks.
This abrupt reversal represents another chaotic product shift during Elon Musk's brief two-week tenure as CEO. Musk previously promotes the paid verification model as a crucial tool to boost revenue and eliminate bots, but the immediate flood of convincing imposters forces the company to halt the rollout indefinitely.