There's been a lot of activity on Twitter since Elon Musk took over the platform for a whopping €44 billion, and the controversial change to the social network's verification system is currently being tested on the Twitter app for iOS.
An iOS app update released over the weekend (via Engadget (opens in a new tab) and others) introduced the ability to pay €7.99 per month for a blue tick. It's sold as part of a Twitter Blue subscription, which already exists for €4.99 a month in some countries, but without verification included.
After some users reported problems with the new paid plan, a subsequent tweet (opens in new tab) from Twitter's Esther Crawford suggested that the feature was still in the "test" phase and had no effect.
Check or not check
The new approach to account verification has already attracted a lot of negative press. Previously, blue checkmarks, confirming genuine accounts run by real people, were given out for free after a manual review process.
Another change in the latest update to the Twitter for iOS app includes a Verified tab on the Notifications screen, which means replies from verified users appear before anything else. This may be to reduce the impact of bots and spammers, although many bots and spammers probably have the funds to pay €8 a month anyway.
Also this weekend, Elon Musk tweeted (opens in a new tab) his plans to add the ability to attach long text notes to tweets, eliminating the need to capture large snippets of text. Creators will eventually be able to monetize that content, Musk says.
Analysis: Twitter is changing beyond recognition
We knew when Elon Musk took over Twitter there would be a lot of changes, but few could have predicted the speed at which they would roll out. We are seeing major changes to fundamental aspects of the platform after just a few days.
We've already written about how flawed the new paid verification system is: many people who really need to prove their identity online aren't rich, while many bad guys have plenty of money to fund a tick blue. However, it seems that the new system is about to be implemented.
There's clearly a lot to figure out on Twitter, and it's true that the current verification process is frustrating in its own way. The platform doesn't make enough money from advertising, and most of the content on Twitter is generated by a minority of users, which is not a healthy situation for an app that relies on engagement.
In other words, Musk has a big challenge ahead of him: sweeping changes are certainly needed, but whether the current calls are the right ones or are being implemented at the right speed remains to be seen.