Twitter is launching a $7.99 monthly subscription that comes with a blue checkmark next to users' names, per the latest Apple app store update Saturday.
Driving the news: The company is offering the blue check marks "just like the celebrities, companies and politicians you already follow" to users who "sign up now."
- The new "Twitter Blue" isn’t live yet, according to Esther Crawford of Twitter's early stage products team.
- "The sprint to our launch continues but some folks may see us making updates because we are testing and pushing changes in real-time," she tweeted.
Be smart: It remains unclear if Twitter Blue subscribers will have their identities verified, or what will happen to existing blue checkmarks on hundreds of thousands of previously verified accounts.
Flashback: Elon Musk floated the idea of users paying for blue check marks shortly after taking over the social media platform in October.
- Back in April, he said in a now-deleted tweet that all Twitter Blue subscribers "should get an authentication checkmark" that's different from the verification one for official accounts and public and media figures.
Zoom out: A day earlier, Twitter began laying off about half of its workforce after Elon Musk took ownership of the company a week ago.
- Musk is facing criticism from advertisers, advocacy groups and even President Biden, who said Friday that the platform "spews lies all across the world."
- Lawsuits over the layoffs are already underway and advertisers, including General Mills and Pfizer, are temporarily halting their spending.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with new details throughout.
