Non-Paying Verified Twitter Accounts May Lose Checkmarks, But Governments Retain Theirs: Report

While Twitter is still reeling from the news that Elon Musk wants to charge users $8 per month if they want to retain their blue checkmarks, a new report revealed that existing verified accounts may eventually lose their blue ticks if they don't pay up. However, the same isn't true for governments as they won't be forced to pay, the report revealed.

Musk has discussed plans with his advisers to make money on Twitter, and part of the plan is to put accounts with a blue checkmark on "an interim period where the check would be on both Blue subscribers accounts and previously verified users," according to two people familiar with the matter and internal documents viewed by The New York Times.

The new Twitter Blue subscription service, which is being prepared for a Nov. 7 launch, will no longer require users to get their identities verified before they receive their blue checkmarks, the documents revealed.

Furthermore, users of previously verified accounts who don't pay up will eventually lose their blue ticks, as per the documents reviewed by The Times.

The documents also revealed plans to allow government accounts "to keep their Verified badge without paying for Blue." However, it is unclear if the said government accounts include individual accounts of politicians.

The team handling Twitter Blue has reportedly been told to get the revamped subscription service prepared for introduction in the following week or face the risk of getting fired, The Times reported.

Musk announced the paid Twitter checkmark scheme Wednesday, wherein he noted that paying subscribers will be prioritized in terms of replies, mentions and searches.

The announcement triggered widespread protests on the social media platform, including from influential people such as U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY and legendary author Stephen King.

The Tesla CEO has said that "complainers" will still be asked to pay for their Twitter blue checks.

Despite the increasing pushback against a paid Twitter Blue subscription, a few verified account holders such as the founder of cryptocurrency exchange company ShapeShift Erik Voorhees, and the founder of podcast platform Callin David Sacks, seem to be okay with the change that Musk wants to implement.

Meanwhile, Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao predicted that the majority of Musk's plans for Twitter will fail. Aside from the paid Twitter Blue service, Musk has also suggested bringing back the video platform Vine.

"I would actually say probably the majority of them will not stick," Zhao said during Tuesday's Web Summit tech conference in Lisbon, Insider reported.

Musk has yet to respond to Zhao's comments about his plans to get money rolling on his newly-acquired company.