TheQuartering [11/7/2022]
A recent thread of tweets from Elon Musk has brought to light a pay-to-play scheme involving Twitter verification badges.
Twitter verification badges are coveted status symbols. They enable verified users to interact almost entirely with other verified users through a special response tab. Musk stated that the system for awarding these badges was so flawed that anyone could buy it from a third-party.
In reply to Elon’s tweet, a user alleged that Twitter employees were selling verification for around $15,000. They claimed that, for certain accounts, Twitter would refuse to verify them through the standard application process and instead offer to do it privately for an exorbitant fee.