It has taken a number of weeks longer than deliberate, however it seems that Elon Musk’s paid verification system has began to roll out for actual this time. Some customers can go to their settings and pay both $8 or $11 a month to enroll in Twitter Blue, which provides them a blue test mark, the power to edit posts, and some different perks, most of that are nonetheless within the “coming quickly” part: fewer adverts, the power to put up longer movies, and your tweets will likely be amplified over these from the unwashed, checkless lots.

The change has been controversial, principally as a result of it renders meaningless the unique goal of the blue checks and verification. These blue checks had been doled out to customers Twitter deemed notable ultimately or who ran the danger of being impersonated, like celebrities, manufacturers, and (a lot to the consternation of many on the proper) journalists. Twitter is now describing these test marks as ambiguously notable and says they’ll be going away quickly. In just a few months, the one factor blue test marks will let you know is that somebody paid for one.

To resolve the issue it created, Twitter has additionally needed to introduce just a few extra measures to make sure that sure accounts are who they are saying they’re. These embrace totally different colour test marks, totally different profile picture shapes, and tiny little “affiliation” icons subsequent to some test marks.

If Musk’s plans work out, you’ll see many extra blue test marks sooner or later. You simply gained’t know who’s truly behind them.

If in case you have questions on all of this, we’ve got just a few solutions.

Why are some test marks gold or grey?

No must get your eyes checked: A number of the test marks have certainly modified colour. When Musk first tried to launch his tackle Twitter Blue, issues didn’t go nicely. This was principally resulting from the truth that Twitter Blue didn’t have any actual method to confirm the identities of the accounts signing up for it as a result of Musk didn’t appear to see why it ought to. He outsourced a few of that work to the App Retailer, figuring that as a result of folks needed to have an App Retailer account to get Twitter Blue — and since they’d be paying for it — that will be sufficient of a verification system and deterrent for trolls.

It was not. Twitter was quickly flooded with tweets from seemingly actual, verified accounts with blue test marks saying they had been going to do issues like ask for a commerce from their NBA staff (as a pretend however verified LeBron James account did), give diabetes medication away free of charge (as a pretend however verified Eli Lilly account did), or just having their mascot flip off their loyal prospects (as a pretend however verified Nintendo account did). The skeleton crew of Twitter staff remaining after Musk’s deep job cuts couldn’t deal with the onslaught of fakes, and a few tweets had been up for hours. Manufacturers, whose adverts signify the overwhelming majority of Twitter’s income, didn’t like this.

To attempt to forestall that from taking place once more, Twitter has now turned the blue test marks that corporations used to have into gold test marks. In the event you go to the account’s profile and click on on the gold test, a field will pop up saying the account “is verified as a result of it’s an official enterprise on Twitter.” So now, when you see a blue test mark account tweeting that it’s making insulin free, you’ll absolutely know that it’s not the actual Eli Lilly account promising that as a result of the actual Eli Lilly account has a gold test mark. After which Eli Lilly’s inventory gained’t drop once more. Proper?

Authorities accounts are additionally getting a new-look test mark: grey. That goes to authorities establishments in addition to some people, though it doesn’t seem that each authorities official qualifies: President Biden’s official @POTUS account will get a grey test, however his @JoeBiden continues to be blue, albeit with a label beneath that claims “United States authorities official.” Being a member of Congress doesn’t appear to grant a grey checkmark or a label, although that will nicely change as Twitter continues to strive to determine what it’s doing right here.

What occurs to the blue test marks that don’t flip gold or grey?

The “legacy” blue test marks are actually described as “could or is probably not notable.” Musk additionally says that legacy accounts must pay up or they’ll lose their test marks “in just a few months.”

So, for just a few months, among the blue checks you see will belong to individuals who paid for them and a few will belong to individuals who didn’t, however who’re notable. Or not notable.

Wait, didn’t this occur a month in the past?

Musk had grand plans to get Twitter Blue rolling out as early as November 7 however ended up having to delay it just a few days. When it lastly was launched, solely predictable chaos ensued with the pretend however verified accounts. This made Twitter the funnest it’s been shortly, so long as you weren’t one of many accounts that was impersonated or didn’t have inventory in a model that was. Musk then needed to roll again his beloved Twitter Blue. After a number of delays, it’s lastly again.

How is Twitter making certain that chaos doesn’t ensue this time?

The gold and grey test marks are supposed to assist folks know which accounts belong to companies and the federal government and which don’t. We’ll see how nicely this works. Over the subsequent few days, if not weeks or months, folks will nonetheless be associating blue test marks with official issues and gold and grey test marks with nothing.

Thankfully, nonetheless, there are just a few extra safeguards in place. Based on Musk, somebody will likely be manually verifying every account earlier than giving it the test mark, and the test will briefly be eliminated if they modify their title till it may be verified once more. That is to stop folks from getting their checks after which instantly altering their names to another drug firm that sells insulin or Sonic the Hedgehog mooning us or no matter.

Why am I seeing squares now?

Which of them? The profile photographs for some accounts, which are actually squares as a substitute of circles, or the tiny little sq. icons subsequent to some accounts’ test marks? In an effort to additional distinguish that an account belongs to an organization, Twitter has made these profile photos sq.. And to point that one account is affiliated with one other account, Twitter is placing tiny little variations of that account’s profile picture subsequent to the test mark on the opposite account. Certain is getting crowded up there! Hope you possibly can keep in mind all these visible cues!

Twitter

Why is the value totally different on the web site and on the App Retailer?

Musk initially stated Twitter Blue would value $20 a month. Then, celebrated writer Stephen King stated that was too costly, so Musk modified it to $8 (technically $7.99 since, on the time, the improve was solely accessible via the App Retailer, which requires builders to make use of costs ending in .99). Earlier than Musk tried to roll out Twitter Blue once more, he realized that Apple takes a proportion of subscription charges off the highest of the cash that will in any other case go to him. This enraged Musk, who went on a two-day tweet-rant the place he complained concerning the App Retailer’s charges and likewise claimed (falsely, it turned out) that Apple was threatening to take away Twitter from the App Retailer solely. Musk then took a visit to Apple’s headquarters (at CEO Tim Prepare dinner’s invitation, he stated) and felt higher about issues.

He additionally raised the value for Twitter Blue subscriptions bought via the App Retailer to $11. If that appears too excessive for you, Twitter Blue subscriptions will also be bought via Twitter’s web site for the Stephen-King-adjusted value of $8 (plus tax the place relevant).

I’ve an Android cellphone. The place is my Twitter Blue? 🙁

You may’t subscribe to Twitter Blue via the Android app but however you possibly can nonetheless subscribe via the web site. The Android app subscription capability is, in all probability, coming quickly. As is Twitter Blue for the nations not at the moment supported by it, supposedly. The Twitter Blue rollout has been fairly chaotic thus far, so who even is aware of.

Why would I pay for this?

We’ll see how many individuals are prepared to pay. Musk clearly thinks it’s sufficient to make it a superb chunk of Twitter’s income when all is claimed and carried out. It could need to now as a result of Musk has scared off a lot of Twitter’s advertisers together with his antics. However he’s received a protracted method to go. Twitter’s income was $5.1 billion in 2021, the equal of about 53,125,000 Twitter Blue subscribers.

Replace, December 19, 5:50 pm ET: This put up, initially revealed on December 12, has been up to date with extra details about new varieties of verification badges and adjustments to profile photos.