Twitter's blue check-mark system under Elon Musk didn't go so well when it was launched last month, thanks to a proliferation of phony accounts, and it was suspended almost as soon as it began. Now it looks like the paid subscription program is coming back, though some people will be paying more for the perks than others. Reuters notes that those perks for Twitter Blue include the ability for subscribers to upload 1080p videos and edit tweets, as well as being able to claim that once-coveted blue check. But in a Saturday tweet, the social media platform noted that while the cost of a Twitter Blue subscription will still be $8 a month through the Web, anyone using Apple iOS (i.e., on an iPhone or iPad) will have to fork over $11 a month for the same service.
Although an explanation wasn't given for the $3 surcharge for Apple users, NPR notes that in-app transactions on Apple devices go through the company's App Store, which typically takes in an "Apple tax" of 30% on such sales. It's not just a blue check mark that's up for grabs: Twitter notes that businesses can buy a gold one, while government accounts can snatch up a gray one. It also looks like this time around, unlike the initial launch in November, Twitter Blue will do some vetting before they hand out those check marks. "We've added a review step before applying a blue [check mark] to an account as one of our new steps to combat impersonation," tweeted Esther Crawford, Twitter's director of product management who became briefly famous for sleeping in the office. (More Twitter stories.)
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