Thousands of celebrities, journalists, and other public figures lost their verified status on Twitter today, as Elon Musk seeks to force users to sign up for a monthly subscription. Figures such as the Pope, Donald Trump, and Beyoncé all lost their "blue checkmark" on Thursday.
The blue checkmark was initially introduced to help verify the profile of users who are active in the media and the public eye, or vulnerable to copycat accounts. With the introduction of "Twitter Blue," which gave users the ability to simply purchase verification, a whole slew of fake accounts caused havoc as they created visually similar accounts to public figures or corporations.
Some blue check marks have been converted into grey ones, reserved for government accounts or other organisations. Other badges will be made available for officials from certain companies. A paid gold verified status is reserved for corporate accounts.
My Twitter account says I’ve subscribed to Twitter Blue. I haven’t. My Twitter account says I’ve given a phone number. I haven’t.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) April 20, 2023
Some celebrities, such as Lebron James and Stephen King, report having received Twitter Blue status without having paid for it. Musk reportedly states that he is “personally” paying for some accounts.
For some online creators, the paid blue badge will be a necessity, as it offers more visibility, security features, technical support, and other creator tools. Donald Trump Junior and the Dalai Lama have already signed up for paid status.
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Others complained that the blue tick is now a badge of shame, with many refusing to pay for what were once free features.
Musk has fought to turn Twitter into a profitable company, cutting up to 80% of the workforce and moving to undo much of the content moderation policies of the previous company management. He frames his Twitter Blue subscription as a way to fight against bot accounts and diversify the site's income.
