Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, has once again altered the description of the platform’s verified checkmark labels. The latest change removes any reference to Twitter Blue, the social network’s paid version. Blue subscribers have faced considerable backlash, and the modification to the label may help Musk avoid potential lawsuits from angry celebrities who have received the blue checkmark, despite not wanting anything to do with it.
According to Dexerto, the change was implemented on Tuesday night. Previously, accounts with blue checkmarks had labels stating: “This account is verified because they are subscribed to Twitter Blue and verified their phone number.” However, this created issues as Musk forced blue checkmarks on many celebrities who had not paid for Twitter Blue or verified their phone numbers, leading to outrage on Twitter. The stars affected included Stephen King, Lil Nas X, drill, Chadwick Boseman, Anthony Bourdain, and some deceased celebrities.
Gizmodo has verified that the new description on Twitter’s blue checkmark labels is now visible on over a dozen accounts with blue checks. Given their low number of followers, these accounts appear to be Twitter Blue subscribers. Even accounts known to have paid for Twitter Blue, like Catturd and Libs of TikTok, now have the new label. The label no longer makes any reference to Twitter Blue.
Legal concerns surrounding Musk’s new Twitter verified labels
The new label reads, “This account is verified.” The modification to the title makes it more challenging to identify and block Twitter Blue subscribers who paid $8 for an Elon-approved blue checkmark. Furthermore, Musk’s new verified label gives him legal protection if any celebrities decide to sue him for suggesting that they were fans of Twitter Blue. About two weeks ago, Musk trolled celebrities who hadn’t paid to retain their blue checkmarks by giving them a blue checkmark, which many found cringe-worthy.
Twitter legend @dril, who initiated the #BlockTheBlue campaign targeting users with paid blue checkmarks, expressed disappointment at receiving a Musk-imposed blue checkmark and suggested that the billionaire was violating federal law by making false endorsements.
Some legal experts have agreed with @dril’s assessment that giving celebrities blue checkmarks without their consent could indicate “sponsorship or approval.” Alexandra Roberts, a law professor at Northeastern University, stated that the argument “sounds reasonable.” However, she noted that various laws typically apply to false representation in advertising campaigns or commercial uses. Therefore, how a court would rule in such a case needs to be clarified.
Elon Musk’s ongoing battles add to Twitter’s woes
The microblogging firm and its CEO are already grappling with multiple issues. The company is struggling to generate new revenue streams; it only sold 28 Blue subscriptions immediately after Musk eliminated legacy verified checkmarks. Twitter is experimenting with various approaches, such as offering subscriptions to individual users and micro-payments for unique news articles to see what works.
Elon Musk continues to engage in Twitter feuds with media organizations. On Tuesday, he threatened to transfer NPR’s Twitter handle, @NPR, to another company if it didn’t resume tweeting. NPR announced it was leaving Twitter on April 12 following a lengthy dispute with Musk over media labels that suggested the U.S. government influenced the outlet. In response, Musk told giving the account to a non-existent entity, “National Pumpkin Radio.”
Ultimately, this is Elon Musk we’re talking about, the same person who frequently disregards reasonable advice in favor of making bad jokes or trolling others. It’s difficult to determine whether he changed Twitter’s verified labels to protect his paid users, avoid a lawsuit, or simply because he felt like it.
