Twitter delaying changes to check mark badges after US midterm elections: Report

The midterm elections on November 8 will decide the control of the US Congress and other important governorships

Twitter is planning to defer the rollout of the verification check marks to its subscribers of the new USD 7.99 a month subscription service until after Tuesday's midterm elections in the US, amid concerns over the spread of false information, a media report has said.

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The midterm elections on November 8 will decide the control of the US Congress and other important governorships.

The social media company made the call a day after announcing that it was rolling out the programme for subscribers to receive a verification check mark on their profile for the monthly fee.

The New York Times reported on Sunday that Twitter is “delaying the rollout of verification check marks to subscribers of its new USD 7.99 a month subscription service until after Tuesday’s midterm elections”.

“Power to the people. Your account will get a blue check mark, just like the celebrities, companies, and politicians you already follow,” Twitter said in the announcement for the blue tick on Saturday.

Several Twitter users and employees had voiced concerns that the new badges "could cause confusion ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections because users could easily create verified accounts — say, posing as President Biden or as lawmakers or news outlets and publishing false information about voting results — which could potentially sow discord," the NYT report said.