Twitter is delaying the rollout of verification check marks to subscribers of its new $8 a month service until after Tuesday’s crucial midterm elections in the United States, the New York Times reported.
Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The US midterm elections on Tuesday will decide whether Republicans or President Joe Biden’s Democrats will control Congress.
Earlier this month, Musk had announced that verification blue tick in front of a user’s name that authenticates an account will be charged USD 8 per month. Twitter’s strategy to introduce a monthly charge for the verified badge has polarised users globally.
The announcement came a week after Elon Musk took over the social media company in a $44 billion deal.
Twitter recently laid off 50% of its employees, including employees on the trust and safety team, the company’s head of safety and integrity Yoel Roth said in a tweet earlier this week.
Reuters reported on Thursday that Musk has directed Twitter’s teams to find up to $1 billion in annual infrastructure cost savings.
Musk also said that the Twitter Blue rollout can be expected in India within a month, clearing the air around when the chargeable service will be available in this key market.
“Hopefully, less than a month,” Musk tweeted in response to a Twitter user’s query on when the service is expected to be launched in India.
A blue tick signifies that a particular account is verified because it is notable in government, news, entertainment, or another designated category.
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