STEVEN: THIS MORNING, TWITTER AND ITS MILLIONS OF USERS ARE GEARING UP FOR MAJOR CHANGES, THOUGH NOT AS SOON AS ORIGINALLY PLANNED. WITH THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS HAPPENING TOMORROW, THE ORIGINAL LAUNCH OF ITS NEW TWITTER BLUE HAS NOW BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL AFTER VOTERS GO TO THE POLLS. WLWT NEWS 5’S MEREDITH STUTZ IS HERE TO EXPLAIN. MEREDITH? MEREDITH: THE DETAILS MATTER AS WE’RE ARE LEARNING MORE BECAUSE THE NEW PREMIUM MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE KNOWN AS TWITTER BLUE WAS SUPPOSED TO LAUNCH TODAY. INSTEAD, BECAUSE OF CONCERN ABOUT MISINFORMATION GETTING OUT THERE BEFORE THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS, IT’S BEEN SUSPENDED UNTIL AT LEAST WEDNESDAY AFTER PEOPLE GO TO THE POLLS. THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDS THE FACT THAT PEOPLE CAN NOW PAY AN $8 MONTHLY FEE AND IN RETURN BUY THEMSELVES A BLUE CHECKMARK. SINCE ITS LAUNCH IN 2009, THE CHECKMARK HAS BEEN A TOOL TO PROVIDE VERIFICATION THAT HIGH PROFILE PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS ARE WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE. AHEAD OF THE NEW TWITTER BLUE LAUNCH THIS WEEKEND, A NEW SOFTWARE LOOPHOLE CAUSED SOME USERS WITH THEIR OWN CHECKMARKS, INCLUDING HIGH PROFILE CELEBRITIES LIKE COMEDIANS KATHY GRIFFIN, SARAH SILVERMAN AND ACTRESS VALERIE BERTINELLI TO POSE AS ELON MUSK AND SEND OUT TWEETS SHOWING HOW EASY IT IS TO IMPERSONATE SOMEONE ELSE. WE SPOKE WITH A LOCAL CYBER SECURITY EXPERT ABOUT WHAT THE NEW SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE COULD POTENTIALLY MEAN FOR THE LEGITIMACY OF THE COVETED CHECKMARK. >> YEAH, I MEAN, IT PROBABLY REALLY SORT OF DESTROYS THE WHOLE VALUE OF THAT MEANING ANYTHING BECAUSE IF YOU JUST HAVE TO PAY -- AGAIN, IF THERE’S NO VETTING PROCESS, AND I CAN SIGN UP AND PAY MY EIGHT BUCKS AND GET A BLUE CHECKMARK, THEN YEAH, I THINK IT’S BASICALLY USELESS AT THAT POINT BECAUSE ANYONE COULD GET ONE, RIGHT? IT’S GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT COMES OUT OF THE VETTING PROCESS. MEREDITH: NO MATTER WHAT THE CHANGES ARE, HATTER SAYS PEOPLE SHOULD DO WHAT THEY CAN TO SECURE THEIR ACCOUNTS WITH UNIQUE PASSWORDS AND MULTI-FACTOR IDENTIFICATIO
Ft. Wright cybersecurity expert offers advice for now-delayed Twitter changes
Dave Hatter says Twitter users may want to reconsider the value of Twitter's blue check mark that would cost $7.99 per month.
Updated: 10:40 PM EDT Apr 30, 2023
With Election Day just hours away, tech experts, voters and social media users wait to see how Twitter moves forward with new changes after the midterms.Previously, Twitter was to launch its premium $7.99 monthly subscription called "Twitter Blue" on Monday, according to the New York Times. The paid service gives users access to advanced software including the guarantee of a coveted blue check mark. Since its launch in 2009, the check mark has been used to provide verification and legitimacy to the accounts of entities like celebrities, journalists, law enforcement and politicians. New Twitter owner Elon Musk tweeted that he believes allowing people to purchase a blue checkmark in an ongoing monthly subscription is giving "Power to the people." In terms of regulation and verification process for potential social media security issues, Musk tweeted, "There will be a secondary tag below the name for someone who is a public figure, which is already the case for politicians," which is currently the case for President Joe Biden's official account but not for Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval's account. Over the weekend, Twitter updated its app which led some checkmark users to discover a loophole allowing some people to post and impersonate Elon Musk from their own accounts. Those of note include Comedians Kathy Griffin, Sarah Silverman and actress Valeria Bertineli. Twitter later suspended Griffin's account.Twitter announced it would suspend the launch of Twitter Blue until after the midterm elections.WLWT spoke with Intrust IT Cybersecurity expert Dave Hatter to understand the future meaning of a Twitter checkmark if someone pays for it versus is given the checkmark after a verification process."It probably really sort of destroys the whole value of that," Hatter said. "If there's no vetting process, and I can sign up and pay my eight bucks and get a blue checkmark, then yeah, I think it's basically useless at that point because anyone could get one, right? So it's gonna be interesting to see what comes out of the vetting process."Hatter and other Twitter users say they are eager to hear what kind of verification process will be put into place for the new Twitter checkmark process. While users wait until the changes are launched, Hatter believes people should do what they can to secure their accounts with unique passwords and two-factor identification.
With Election Day just hours away, tech experts, voters and social media users wait to see how Twitter moves forward with new changes after the midterms.
Previously, Twitter was to launch its premium $7.99 monthly subscription called "Twitter Blue" on Monday, according to the New York Times. The paid service gives users access to advanced software including the guarantee of a coveted blue check mark.
Since its launch in 2009, the check mark has been used to provide verification and legitimacy to the accounts of entities like celebrities, journalists, law enforcement and politicians.
New Twitter owner Elon Musk tweeted that he believes allowing people to purchase a blue checkmark in an ongoing monthly subscription is giving "Power to the people." In terms of regulation and verification process for potential social media security issues, Musk tweeted, "There will be a secondary tag below the name for someone who is a public figure, which is already the case for politicians," which is currently the case for President Joe Biden's official account but not for Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval's account.
Over the weekend, Twitter updated its app which led some checkmark users to discover a loophole allowing some people to post and impersonate Elon Musk from their own accounts. Those of note include Comedians Kathy Griffin, Sarah Silverman and actress Valeria Bertineli. Twitter later suspended Griffin's account.
Twitter announced it would suspend the launch of Twitter Blue until after the midterm elections.
WLWT spoke with Intrust IT Cybersecurity expert Dave Hatter to understand the future meaning of a Twitter checkmark if someone pays for it versus is given the checkmark after a verification process.
"It probably really sort of destroys the whole value of that," Hatter said. "If there's no vetting process, and I can sign up and pay my eight bucks and get a blue checkmark, then yeah, I think it's basically useless at that point because anyone could get one, right? So it's gonna be interesting to see what comes out of the vetting process."
Hatter and other Twitter users say they are eager to hear what kind of verification process will be put into place for the new Twitter checkmark process.
While users wait until the changes are launched, Hatter believes people should do what they can to secure their accounts with unique passwords and two-factor identification.
