Dec. 12 (UPI) — Twitter relaunched its paid verification service Twitter Blue with several changes to combat impersonators on Monday.
The service returned with a suite of new features, including 1080p video uploads, tweet editing and the ability to change your Twitter handle. It costs $8 per month, unless it is purchased through the Apple app store where it costs $11.
Twitter did not clarify why iOS users will be paying more than 30% more for the same service other users get. CEO Elon Musk recently sparred with Apple for making 30% on all sales through its app store and alleged threats from the tech giant to pull Twitter from its store altogether, which Musk later said was a misunderstanding.
“Apple has mostly stopped advertising on Twitter. Do they hate free speech in America?” Musk tweeted on Nov. 28.
Twitter Blue subscribers will receive the classic blue check mark next to their name after going through a verification process. If their name, handle or profile photo is changed, the check mark will be temporarily removed until they are verified again. The “official” designation for businesses will be replaced with a gold checkmark and government bodies will have gray check marks.
Subscribers will encounter about half as many advertisements and be allowed to upload longer videos.
Twitter Blue was first launched on Nov. 9, but it only stayed online for about two days before being paused. Accounts impersonating celebrities, public figures and government agencies spread rampantly throughout the platform. Musk had several impersonators, many of whom were critical of him.
