With Twitter allowing users to verify their accounts for a monthly fee, the number of accounts with blue checkmarks - previously associated with high-profile figures - has flooded the social media platform. The browser extension for Chrome, Firefox and Safari aims to restore balance by showing accounts that have paid $8 to subscribe to Twitter Blue.
Under Elon Musk's direction, Twitter launched a "Twitter Blue" subscription to thwart spam bots and fake accounts on the platform. However, when the service initially launched in November 2022, trolls used it as an opportunity to verify impersonation accounts and spread disinformation. While subsequent Know Your Customer requirements stifled account verification for suspicious accounts, the number of verified accounts on Twitter skyrocketed, reigniting suspicion among users. A browser extension called "Eight Dollars" allows users to spot the difference between an actual verified account and a Twitter Blue user.
The extension shows how each account earns its verification badge. For users who pay for a Twitter Blue subscription, the extension will display the text "Paid" next to the blue check mark. For the rest it will just say "Verified". The screenshot above shows an example of how an account impersonating Elon Musk would pay a verification fee. Therefore, the extension helps to identify fraudulent accounts.
Additionally, Twitter users support the software extension as it effectively restores transparency across the social media platform, as seen in the comment screenshot above. The need for such an extension arose after Twitter changed the way it displayed information related to the account verification process. In the sections labeled "A" and "B" in the image above, you can see that Twitter has explicitly mentioned in the past whether accounts were verified on the platform.
However, as shown in section "C", this information was later changed to ensure that it was impossible to know who had subscribed to the Twitter Blue service at the request of the public. At the same time, Musk signed an open letter with more than 2,600 technology industry leaders and researchers calling for a halt to the development of artificial intelligence. The letter was divided, with many prominent entrepreneurs objecting. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong believes that every technology carries some level of danger, and the goal should be to keep moving forward.
