Ever since the controversial billionaire took over as the Chief Executive of the blue bird company, Twitter has been on a roller-coaster ride. The company has faced several lawsuits, fired numerous employees and made a number of changes in its logistics to get back on track. Although Twitter has made headlines for a number of reasons in just a few months, the removal of blue ticks from legacy accounts had been a hot topic after Musk took over. Recently, Twitter had removed the verified tick marks from the accounts of people who did not buy the Twitter Blue subscription. However, some of these accounts had their verification marks back in place on Saturday, just one day after the same were removed.
Credits: Adda 247
The History of Verification marks:
The blue tick marks that appear on selected Twitter accounts are verification badges that appear on profiles of verified users. These badges are often seen on profiles of famous personalities who are at a threat of being impersonated. Twitter puts these blue check marks only after they have confirmed the identity of the account owner who is typically a public figure or brand.
There is a criteria for verification of Twitter accounts without meeting which an account cannot be verified. The factors which affect the eligibility of an account to get verified include the completeness of the profile, the presence of a profile picture and header image, and the account’s activity and engagement on the platform. Furthermore, the social media company requires verification of the account owner’s identity through government-issued identification or other valid identity proofs.
Although the verification doesn’t come with additional benefits from the company, these users do enjoy a few perks over the others. These verification check marks often represent an account’s legitimacy and creditability. Users of such accounts also have a much easier time building trust with followers and audiences.
The problem with Twitter Blue:
After the introduction of Twitter Blue, the brand had announced that the verification tick marks from the accounts of those who do not subscribe to Twitter Blue will be removed. Moreover, accounts which remain actively subscribed to the platform’s paid service would also have enjoyed the verification tick mark. This led to several prominent blue tick holders being disappointed with the social media company. Some of them openly voiced their opinions against the Musk led company. While some of the legacy account holders decided to purchase the subscription, a lot of them also refused to pay the $8 fee.
Recent Updates:
Amid a rumor that the blue bird company CEO was paying for the Twitter Blue subscription of a few celebrities, Elon had confirmed the rumors. he rumors were speculated when NBA star LeBron James and famous author Stephen King still had the blue tick marks on their accounts after they claimed of not having paid the monthly subscription fee. Stephen King had tweeted about the bizarre condition of his account after his other friends who did not pay up lost their verification mark. Twitter CEO also responded to Stephen King’s post with “You’re welcome, Namaste.” suggesting that it was indeed him who was responsible for Stephen’s complimentary blue tick.
The social media company had also removed the verification marks for users who did not pay up. But just a day after the changes were made, some accounts got their blue ticks back. Some users suggested that only the users who had the verification check mark before and had over a million followers regained their blue tick. Some of the celebrities were also upset with their blue ticks returning including actor Ian McKellen and famous book author Stephen King. Both of them took to Twitter to express their opinion.
Despite the implication when you click the blue badge that has mysteriously re-appeared beside my name, I am not paying for the "honour".
— Ian McKellen (@IanMcKellen) April 23, 2023
I think Mr. Musk should give my blue check to charity. I recommend the Prytula Foundation, which provides lifesaving services in Ukraine. It's only $8, so perhaps Mr. Musk could add a bit more.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) April 22, 2023
