The elusive “blue tick” on Twitter, once granted to high-profile users like politicians, celebrities and journalists to verify their identity, is now available for purchase. Twitter’s new owner, Elon Musk, has launched Twitter Blue, a monthly subscription service for US$7.99 (£7) that will give users blue tick status and, eventually, perks including fewer advertisements.
Musk claims that this change gives “power to the people”. But my ongoing research with women in the public eye suggests that charging for verified accounts is likely to further jeopardise women’s safety online.
