Twitter, one of the world’s most popular social media platforms, recently announced a new advertising verification policy that has stirred up quite a bit of controversy among its users. The policy requires that advertisers pay for verification prior to running ads on the platform, a move that many have criticized for being unfair and overly expensive. Here’s what you need to know about the new policy.
The Background
In the past, Twitter used blue checkmarks to indicate that an account was verified. These checkmarks were given to accounts that Twitter deemed to be authentic and of public interest. However, Twitter recently decided to remove all legacy blue checkmarks and make users pay for verification. This caused quite a stir on the platform, particularly among celebrities and other high-profile users who lost their verification badges.
The New Policy
Twitter’s new advertising verification policy requires advertisers to either have a verified checkmark or to subscribe to either Twitter Blue or Verified Organizations in order to run ads on the platform. This policy went into effect on April 21, 2023. Twitter stated in a post that business accounts that spend more than $1,000 per month already have gold checks, and they will continue to enjoy access to advertising without interruption at this time.
The company says that this new policy is part of its overall verification strategy, which aims to improve the user and advertiser experience as well as the quality of Twitter content. Twitter has been trying to reduce the number of bots and fraudulent accounts on its platform, and it says that subscribing to either Twitter Blue or Verified Organizations means that you have been verified as a real person or business by Twitter.
The Controversy
The new policy has caused controversy for a number of reasons. Firstly, some users feel that it is unfair to require advertisers to pay for verification, especially given that Twitter used to provide verification badges for free. Some have argued that Twitter is simply trying to monetize its platform by charging advertisers for verification.
Others have criticized the policy for being too expensive, particularly for smaller businesses or individuals who may not be able to afford the fees. The $1,000 per month threshold for business accounts may also be out of reach for some smaller businesses.
Finally, some users have criticized the policy for being overly complicated and confusing. There are different requirements for different types of accounts, and it can be difficult for users to understand exactly what they need to do to maintain their verified status.
Conclusion
Twitter’s new advertising verification policy has certainly caused a stir on the platform. While the company says that it is part of its overall strategy to improve the user and advertiser experience, many users have criticized the policy for being unfair, too expensive, and confusing. Only time will tell whether Twitter will make any changes to the policy in response to user feedback.
