April 3, 2023
Twitter intends to remove blue verification badges from accounts that have not paid for them. The blue checkmark on the platform indicates authenticity and dependability, separating genuine and mainly trustworthy information from spam, phony profiles, and bots.
The move is championed by CEO Elon Musk, who wants to favor a paid verification system known as Twitter Blue in order to make more income and include more content from paying users in “For You” feeds.
Before Musk took over Twitter, accounts received blue checks after going through a verification procedure. Although the business had planned to delete current verification badges on April 1, that appears to have been postponed for the time being. Instead, the label connected to the check mark has been altered such that it is nearly hard to distinguish between those who earned it and those who paid for it.
Musk has stated that, from April 15, Twitter’s “For You” algorithmic timeline would only display verified profiles in addition to those that a user follows. Moreover, Twitter Blue subscribers are rumored to be working on a government ID verification tool that would allow them to disguise their verification badges.
The sources for this piece include articles in Reuters, and Axios.
