Early on blue checkmarks were a way for Twitter to identify that someone really was who they claimed to be. After a while, Twitter's checkmark verification folks turned it into a badge of honor for neo-nazis. Afer his purchase and desperate for cash, one of Elon's first 5D chess moves at Twitter was to sell the checkmark. Folks wanted the checkmark, and Elon let them buy it. Now every MAGA could have a blue checkmark just like their other tiki torch-wielding friends.
No longer serving the purpose of identifying a publication or other notable source as passing whatever Twitter's idea of verified or notable was, Elon Musk now offers a Gold Badge your company can buy for $1000/mo to prove they are a company that paid $1000. Twitter continues to become a murkier less safe place where soon the only advertisers will sell holsters and pillows.
The page for "Twitter Verified Organizations" says (laughably) that they're "creating the most trusted place on the internet for organizations to reach their followers." Which is kinda hilarious that anyone believes that. And, apparently, the way to create "the most trusted place" is to make sure that no users know whether or not organizations are legit or not unless they're willing to pay through the nose.
In the US, it's a flat rate, $1,000 per month, with a $50/month additional fee for each "affiliate seat subscription."
