Twitter pulls legacy blue verification checkmarks

It's Friday, April 21, 2023.

As threatened for a while, Twitter has begun removing the original blue ticks from users' profiles, which includes the likes of Beyoncé, the Pope and yours truly. If the Pope wants his blue tick back, he’ll need to pay $8 per month for Twitter Blue. Businesses can receive a gold checkmark without a subscription, while government and multilateral organization accounts can get a gray checkmark. When Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, however, he claimed there were too many "corrupt" verified accounts and it was necessary to drop the legacy system. He characterized Blue as a way to democratize checkmarks. That said, it’s pay-for-play now – and many notable figures, like LeBron James and Chrissy Teigan, have stated (on Twitter, hah) they’re unlikely to pay for Twitter Blue.

That said, James still has his ‘tick.’ According to his own tweets, Musk has apparently paid for a few Blue accounts himself – maybe he’s a big basketball fan. Will this blue tick gambit pay off?

– Mat Smith

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