Twitter launches $8 blue tick subscription service

Twitter has launched a subscription service allowing users to buy blue-tick verification for a monthly fee of $7.99 (£7) in a significant change under its new owner, Elon Musk.

The system was designed to help users identify authentic and influential users on the platform, including government figures, sports stars, entertainment figures, journalists, brands and organisations.

The firm began widespread staff cuts around the world on Friday, with suggestions that as many as half of its more than 7,500 staff could be axed.

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey took to the platform on Saturday to apologise for growing the company too quickly.

It comes as Twitter staff who face losing their jobs in the UK were given three days to nominate a representative for a formal consultation about their employment.

Workers in the UK have been told the company plans to inform and consult employee representatives in advance of potential redundancies, as required by employment law.

Musk said on Friday evening that Twitter employees who lost their jobs have been offered a three-month payoff, with the company losing more than $4m a day.

Its head of safety later said jobs cuts have affected about 15% of the trust and safety department, as opposed to approximately 50% of cuts company-wide.