Elon Musk’s new Twitter subscription service, Blue Check Mark, is enabling the spread of disinformation, according to watchdog NewsGuard. The service, which costs $8 a month, grants users the aura of legitimacy that comes with Twitter’s blue tick. However, NewsGuard has identified 25 accounts which are Twitter Blue verified, despite having previously spread false information.
The accounts, which all had more than 50,000 followers, cumulatively posted 141 tweets containing false information in the first week of March. Many of these tweets related to COVID-19 vaccines, falsely claiming that they were dangerous and caused death or serious injury.
Other tweets contained false information about the 2020 US presidential election and the Russian-Ukrainian war.
NewsGuard’s findings suggest that the Blue Check Mark service could be used to amplify false narratives for a relatively small fee. Musk has previously claimed that the service will help to weed out bots and trolls, but NewsGuard’s report suggests that bad actors are using the service to promote false information.
Twitter has not commented on the report, instead replying with a poop emoji. The company has previously faced criticism for its lack of action on disinformation on its platform. The Blue Check Mark service has already been mired in controversy, with some users questioning whether it is ethical to monetize the verification process.
The spread of disinformation has become a major concern for social media platforms. Twitter, in particular, has faced criticism for its handling of the issue.
While the company has taken steps to combat disinformation, it has been criticized for not doing enough. The Blue Check Mark service appears to be another potential avenue for disinformation to spread. NewsGuard’s report raises questions about whether the service is helping to legitimize bad actors on Twitter.
If Twitter is serious about combating disinformation, it may need to rethink the way it verifies accounts and who is able to access the platform’s premium features.
