Twitter is now removing blue checkmarks from unregistered users who did not sign up for Twitter’s paid service, Twitter Blue. The service was launched by Elon Musk after purchasing the platform for $44bn, which included an $8 monthly fee for the blue tick and other features. Legacy accounts had the choice to pay for a subscription after a rollout or lose their checkmark.
Twitter removed checkmarks from several legacy accounts, including famous figures, after shifting the deadline multiple times. The decision by the social media giant has seen celebrities, and reputable organisations all lost their checkmarks. The new checkmark introduced sees a new verification system, where the Blue badges now indicate that the account is subscribed to Twitter Blue (starting at $8 per month) and has completed verification steps. The account must also be more than 30 days old and have no recent changes to its name or handle. Gold: For paying $1,000 per month plus fees, organizations and businesses are given this mark. Grey: Official government accounts, like national agencies or heads of state, use this mark.
Government agencies, non-profits and public-service accounts lost their blue checkmarks, raising concerns about distinguishing official channels from others during emergencies. However, Twitter users objected to this change, fearing it would encourage misinformation and fake news.
Twitter Blue‘s launch in November was chaotic, with people impersonating big brands and celebrities, and paying for the blue tick badge to appear authentic, including Elon Musk. Twitter paused its feature within a week of launching around November, before re-launching it by December 2022. It has also been used by controversial groups, such as Taliban officials in Afghanistan. Verified users get amplified tweets and subscribers get extras like an edit button. The blue tick signified the authenticity of high-profile accounts, awarded solely by Twitter without charge.
