The staff at Tumblr have some thoughts about Twitter’s decision to offer verification to anyone for $7.99 a month.
In a post made on the social media network’s staff page on Thursday, Tumblr introduced the option for users to purchase two blue checkmarks to appear next to their account name for $7.99. For those who haven’t been keeping up with Elon Musk’s straight-up catastrophic takeover of Twitter, subscribers of Twitter Blue can now get themselves verified on the platform for $7.99. The decision has been met with criticism, and has even been abused by individuals impersonating notable figures like LeBron James.
"Hi! We're introducing Important Blue Internet Checkmarks here on Tumblr,” the post announcing Tumblr’s double blue checkmark subscription. “They're a steal at $7.99—that's cheaper than some other places, when you consider that you get not one but TWO checkmarks for your blog on web only (for now). Why, you ask? Why not? Nothing matters! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯."
On the checkout page for the subscription, per Insider, Tumblr clarifies that the tick is not a true verification but a “coveted status symbol” and nothing more. "This is not a verification status; it's an Important Blue Internet Checkmark, which in 2022 is just as legit," reads the disclaimer. "Also the Important Blue Internet Checkmark may turn into a bunch of crabs at any time."
The mockery of Musk’s questionable decisions following his $44 billion acquisition of the company comes after a chaotic week, which saw countless staff let go and multiple top security executives resign. Musk recently admitted that his blue check verification program “maybe” a “dumb decision,” and as of Friday Twitter has paused its subscription service.
As reported by CNBC, the iPhone app no longer allows users to sign up for Twitter Blue. Platformer managing editor Zoë Schiffer tweeted that the decision was made “to help address impersonation issues,” which is something almost everyone warned about before Musk just went and greenlit the idea anyway.
Existing subscribers will still have access to their features, but for the time being Twitter Blue is inaccessible.
