Twitter has confirmed plans to allow users to purchase Blue Tick verified statuses.
In an update for Apple devices, the company said the feature would be open to users in some countries who sign up to its Twitter Blue service for $7.99 (£7) a month.
The policy change is controversial, amid concerns that the platform could be flooded with fake accounts.
It follows Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, which laid off half of the company’s workforce on Friday.
The required Blue Tick was previously only available to high-profile or influential individuals and organizations – who were asked to prove their identity.
It is used as a sign that a profile is authentic, and is an important tool to help users identify trustworthy information on the platform.
The policy change may raise concerns that government figures, celebrities, journalists and brands may be willing to pay monthly fees to any user.
Mr Musk, the world’s richest man, appears keen to diversify Twitter’s revenue, following his acquisition of the firm in a $44bn (£39bn) deal late last month.
On Friday, the billionaire said Twitter was losing more than $4m (£3.5m) a day, insisting it left him with “no choice” around half of the company’s 7,500-strong workforce. Not given.
The cuts — as well as Mr. Musk’s strong advocacy of free speech — have led to speculation that Twitter could fend off its efforts at content moderation.
However, Mr Musk has insisted that the firm’s stance on harmful content has “completely changed”.
On Saturday, a top UN official, human rights commissioner Volker Truk, urged Mr Musk to “ensure that human rights are central to the management of Twitter”.
The UN’s unusual intervention led to the sacking of Twitter’s entire human rights team, saying it was “not an encouraging start” under Mr Musk’s ownership.
There was no immediate response from Twitter.
Few details of the change in verification policy were made public, and the Twitter Blue subscription reportedly remains at the old price of £4.99 in the UK following Saturday’s announcement.
Twitter’s update states that the changes will only apply in the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
A flurry of tweets from Mr. Musk himself suggested that the changes would be rolled out globally after being observed in an initial handful of countries.
It was unclear what would happen to profiles that already have a blue tick — or if Twitter still plans to “verify” a user beyond receiving a subscription.
In response to a user who asked what would happen to existing verified profiles, Mr. Musk said the timeline for implementing the changes was “several months.”
Responding to another question about the risk of users faking significant figures, he said Twitter would “suspend the account making the emotional effort and keep the money”.
Reviewing other upcoming changes, Mr Musk said Twitter would soon allow users to attach long-form text to tweets, “putting an end to the ridiculousness of Notepad screenshots”.
Earlier on Saturday, Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey addressed the mass layoffs, saying he apologized to employees for what happened at his former firm.
Mr Dorsey – who resigned as CEO in November and left the board of directors in May – said he knew Twitter staff were “angry with me”.
His statement continued: “I own the responsibility for why everyone is in this situation: I grew the size of the company too quickly. I apologize for that.”
Mr. Dorsey appeared to endorse the need for termination. Earlier this year, he expressed support for Mr. Musk’s takeover.
Several big brands have halted ad spending with Twitter in recent days amid the company’s upheaval.
Mr Musk has been trying to reduce the platform’s reliance on advertising – and Saturday’s update also promised to “halve ads”.
