In response to a lawsuit filed by St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa, Twitter has decided to verify some accounts. Although Twitter responded that, "Mr. La Russa's lawsuit was an unnecessary waste of judicial resources bordering on frivolous," they will start releasing verified accounts this summer.
Verified accounts will start with public officials, agencies, famous people, athletes and "other well known individuals at risk of impersonation."
But the most interesting aspect of all is the final two sentences from the official Twitter blog post: "Initially, verification will not be tested with businesses. However, we do see an opportunity in that arena so we'll keep you posted when we have something to share."
A conspiracy theorist might read into that, translating to "We'll let you know when we decide to start charging businesses to use Twitter." And it's not the worst idea ever. Considering Twitter's soaring popularity with consumers and mass media, businesses have a lot to gain by using Twitter. After all, PRWeb and similar services charge businesses to broadcast their news, ping media outlets and create incoming links. If Twitter were to provide businesses with tools to help connect them with consumers and media outlets, or even enable transactions, would a small monthly fee be worth it? Take our poll below and let us know what you think!
Masson specializes in helping brands articulate their purpose and communicate their value—through naming, campaigns, pitch decks, copy, video, and multi-platform, targeted content series.
