It's no secret that Twitter has gone through quite a bit of shakeup since Elon Musk acquired the platform in October 2022, but nothing has shaken up its legacy quite like the latest blue check disaster . Twitter removed verification badges from all non-Twitter Blue users on April 20, but then quickly reinstated the blue checks against the wishes of a handful of celebrities. This has led to many actors, singers and sports stars publicly denouncing their validation in front of millions of fans, which begs the question: Is it cool to have blue checks on Twitter?
If you need a refresher, it was announced on April 19 that the only way for legacy verified accounts to keep their blue checks after April 20 was to subscribe to Twitter's paid subscription tier, Twitter Blue, for $8 per month. Of course, that didn't last long, because once celebrities started announcing they wouldn't pay for the tier system, and some even announced they were quitting the app entirely, Twitter started bringing back the blue checks for select accounts above level 3. According to the BBC, it has 1 million followers.
Back in Twitter's heyday, verified accounts were the app's tastemakers, their blue plaid worn like a badge of honor. Now, the blue plaid that once symbolized class and status has become the red lettering (or should I say, turquoise lettering ) of select celebrities, like Lil Nas X. Two days after losing its checkmark, Lil Nas X's badge has reappeared next to his name seemingly against his will. The rapper tweeted on April 22: “I swear I didn’t pay for Twitter Blue and you will feel my wrath Tesla people!”
Actress Bette Midler found herself in a similar predicament, tweeting on April 23: “Yes Elon returned my blue check but I didn’t Pay." So did Olympic gymnast Simone Biles Owens, who found her blue check back the same day, even though she had done "nothing" to bring it back.
Actor Jason Alexander announced that he would not pay for verification and would only ask for a blue check to be returned on April 22, bidding farewell to the app. "Friends told me my blue verification check was reinstated," the "Seinfeld " alum wrote on Twitter. "Don't know why. I didn't pay anything. I didn't give out a number."
When you click on the verification badges connected to Lil Nas Yes, as of May 1, Midler and Owens no longer have a blue check mark).
Alexander went on to say that the same thing happened to author Stephen King, although his confirmation was less mysterious than most. On April 20, Elon Musk tweeted that he would "personally" pay for verification badges for three celebrities: Stephen King, William Shatner and LeBron James.
Before Musk's announcement, LeBron James made it clear in March that he would not pay for verification, writing on Twitter: "Guess my blue [check] will be gone soon because If you knew me, I wouldn’t pay the $5 fee.” On April 20, James’ badge survived the blue check craze, and The Verge reported that James was one of the few to receive a “free subscription to Twitter Blue.” One of the accounts, although his account implies that he is a paying subscriber. King also shared his refusal to repay debt in October 2022, while Shatner had some exchanges with Musk on the matter in March.
It feels like it wasn't that long ago that users would be begging for their accounts to be verified, tweeting at former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey every chance they got to convince him to approve their verification. So why does no one suddenly want their blue checks? Of course, everyone has their own reasons (i.e. they don't want to pay, they're not active on Twitter, they want to be part of "normal" online), but considering Musk's takeover has caused so much chaos, it's hard to Don't take this as a sign that Twitter has completely lost its cultural heritage. Blue Checks once separated the haves from the have-nots — or just helped you find the best meme accounts to follow — but now the app has become unusable due to the Follow tab and emulation everywhere you go. Accounts are inconsistent.
Many recent unproven celebrities are embracing their new check-free era, further proving that the check mark is no longer the status symbol it once was. Singer Charli XCX celebrated her move away from the verification badge, tweeting: "Officially no longer an officially verified artist. I love the unofficial and unverified. Halle Berry at awards show posted a cheeky video happily announcing that he was no longer verifying his identity.
While the symbol may no longer be “cool,” it does make it harder for reporters and reporters to stand out among the noise. Luckily, if you're not ready to say goodbye to blue checks, some users have discovered a potential loophole that allows previously verified accounts to regain their badges without paying $8. According to user @alisegel, adding the words "front blue tick" to your bio can trigger an "encoding error" and cause the tick to reappear next to your name. That said, this self-proclaimed "former blue tick" deleted the quote because the badge "made [her] weird," and if that's not proof that the blue tick era is over, I don't know what is That's it.
