Musk tests waters on paid verification for Twitter accounts

By MATT O’BRIEN
AP Technology Writer

Billionaire Elon Musk is already floating major changes for Twitter as he begins his first week as owner of the social-media platform. One proposal would make some users pay if they want to keep a blue check mark on their profile. Twitter has historically used the mark to verify higher-profile accounts, including Musk’s, so that other users know it’s really them. Critics have derided the mark as an elite status symbol. Musk has invited a group of tech world friends and investors to help guide the San Francisco-based company’s transformation, which is likely to include a shakeup of its staff.