Elon Musk says Twitter’s much-needed $8 Blue Tick subscription service will resume after verification on November 29, days after the microblogging platform temporarily shut down due to a spate of fake accounts. Before Musk took control of Twitter on October 27th, blue checkmarks were given to celebrities, government leaders, and other socialites after their accounts were verified by the site’s platform. The $8 subscription fee announced on November 6 was a move to retain advertisers and generate revenue. However, the move led to a spike in scammer accounts, forcing Twitter to suspend service temporarily. In the new version, changing a person’s verified name loses the blue checkmark “until the name is verified by Twitter to meet their terms of service.” Last week, Musk hinted at relaunching its Blue Tick subscription service. It’s been three weeks since Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion. Since the acquisition, Musk has laid off nearly half of the popular microblogging platform’s employees, including his CEO Parag Agrawal, and has even raised concerns that the company will go bankrupt.
