Yoel Roth, Twitter’s head of Safety and Integrity, indicated in a Twitter thread that the business may have to invest more in “identification verification” beyond the paid verification system that will accompany the revised Twitter Blue membership. Twitter, now led by Elon Musk, hastily released an updated version of its Twitter Blue membership that would have the option to buy a verification badge for 7.99 per month. The goal of this update is to expand the pool of users who may apply for and get the blue and white verified badge on Twitter. Previously, this badge was reserved for public figures, celebrities, politicians, journalists, and other influential people.

Assuring other Twitter users that a prominent figure is who they say they are, Twitter’s previous approach verified the identity of those who obtained the checkmark through an internal procedure.

Twitter has apparently come to terms with the benefits of genuine identity verification, the type that can’t be purchased for 8. It is not obvious, however, where Twitter would draw the line about who would need their identities further validated and how that would be achieved.

Roth detailed Twitter’s response to a situation involving multiple verified, blue-badged accounts engaging in impersonation as part of a thread in which he attempted to explain Twitter’s divergent policies regarding parody (which is permitted) and impersonation (which is not), and why the latter is prohibited. Because of this, he ended up tweeting some of his ideas regarding ID verification.

Yoel Roth, Twitter’s head of Safety and Integrity, indicated in a Twitter thread that the business may have to invest more in “identification verification” beyond the paid verification system that will accompany the revised Twitter Blue membership. Twitter, now led by Elon Musk, hastily released an updated version of its Twitter Blue membership that would have the option to buy a verification badge for 7.99 per month. The goal of this update is to expand the pool of users who may apply for and get the blue and white verified badge on Twitter. Previously, this badge was reserved for public figures, celebrities, politicians, journalists, and other influential people.

Assuring other Twitter users that a prominent figure is who they say they are, Twitter’s previous approach verified the identity of those who obtained the checkmark through an internal procedure.

Twitter has apparently come to terms with the benefits of genuine identity verification, the type that can’t be purchased for 8. It is not obvious, however, where Twitter would draw the line about who would need their identities further validated and how that would be achieved.

Roth detailed Twitter’s response to a situation involving multiple verified, blue-badged accounts engaging in impersonation as part of a thread in which he attempted to explain Twitter’s divergent policies regarding parody (which is permitted) and impersonation (which is not), and why the latter is prohibited. Because of this, he ended up tweeting some of his ideas regarding ID verification.

It’s unclear from his comments what Twitter’s intentions could be.

Numerous social media platforms today utilise A.I. and face recognition to verify users, which has prompted privacy concerns. Instagram, for instance, employs AI to analyse “happy birthday” messages to detect users who may have misled about their age when they signed up. Yubo is requiring all of its users to submit to a face scan in order to prove their age. These techniques were developed to verify that underage users have not misled about their age on the site, but they have broader use. Particularly useful for this purpose is video; at one time even Amazon was using it to verify the identities of potential third-party merchants in an effort to reduce fraud.

Facebook, for example, will request a copy of your government ID if you ever forget your password or have any other security concerns with your account.

Twitter’s main selling point has always been that anyone can sign up for it, and they don’t even have to use their own name or ID. This has made it possible for people living under authoritarian regimes to connect, and it has helped activists and organisers feel safe when tweeting vital information. Because of this, Twitter served an important purpose, for instance, in the “Arab Spring” uprisings of 2010 and 2012.

However, there are some humorous benefits to being anonymous online, such as the creation of spoof accounts where readers may enjoy guessing at the identity of the poster.

Formerly, requesting a blue badge meant consenting to identification checks. The blue badge’s diminished efficacy as an identity verification tool is a direct result of its commodification as a consumer good. Yes, Roth now agrees with this assessment.

However, if Twitter plans to spend money on “identity verification” for all of its users in the future, it would be interfering with the platform’s core features, including users’ freedom to remain anonymous (without being flagged as a spammer).

It’s unclear if Twitter will use technology, human screening by a team (like it did previously), or any combination of the two. However, as Twitter moves ahead in the Musk age, this is an issue that requires constant care.