- Twitter is suspending Blue, Platformer's managing editor reported, citing an internal note.
- After launching early this week, some verified accounts started impersonating famous people and companies.
Twitter is suspending the rollout of its Twitter Blue subscription service as it seeks to "address impersonation issues," Zoë Schiffer, managing editor of tech newsletter Platformer, reported on Friday, citing an internal note.
The social media company launched its overhauled version of Twitter Blue earlier this week, offering anyone with a credit card willing to pay $8 the ability to receive a blue checkmark and a "verified" account. However, some verified users quickly started making accounts impersonating celebrities and companies, leading to confusion and various attempts to troll others on the platform and spread misinformation.
"Twitter has suspended the launch of Twitter Blue and is actively trying to stop people from subscribing 'to help address impersonation issues," Schiffer tweeted.
—Zoë Schiffer (@ZoeSchiffer) November 11, 2022
The internal note was shared on the company Slack, Schiffer said, and said, "An update on what we did tonight: hid the entry point to Twitter Blue, added the 'official' label for ONLY advertisers. Note: here is at least one way for users to sign up for Blue. Legacy Blue users can go to subscriptions and upgrade."
Schiffer reported that Twitter's note said existing subscribers will still be able to access Twitter Blue features, and that the company disabled the option to purchase Twitter Blue on iOS.
Early on Friday, Twitter users were saying the sign-up for Twitter Blue was no longer available on the iOS app. Users who still had the option to subscribe received an error message that said, "Thank you for your interest! Twitter Blue will be available in your country in the future. Please check back later," The Verge reported.
Security researcher Jane Manchun Wong tweeted at 1:53AM Friday morning that the social media app "seems to have unlaunched" Twitter Blue.
"Checked with Twitter's API and the in-app purchase for Twitter Blue Verified is no longer listed for production," she tweeted.
One reply to Wong's tweet was from an account who said the unlaunch explains why they lost their blue checkmark even though they subscribed to Twitter Blue.
—Carter (@CarterKoWang) November 11, 2022
Blue checkmarks from Twitter Blue were distinguished from blue checkmarks for notable users, although Musk previously said all verified users would have to subscribe to keep their checkmark. After Twitter Blue launched, Twitter added "official" badges to some accounts, before removing them.
Elon Musk said in a Twitter Space with advertisers on Wednesday that he "killed" them because they were an "aesthetic nightmare," and created a "two-class system." However, they're appearing on some accounts again.
Musk said in the Twitter Space that making users pay $8 for a blue checkmark was "important" and "necessary" to deal with bots and trolls on the platform. He said Twitter would "vigorously" pursue accounts involved with impersonation and deception, and would suspend those accounts.