Topline
Twitter updated its description label for accounts with verified badges Sunday, removing any distinction between users who paid for the platform’s monthly subscription and those whose identity was actually verified by the platform, a move that follows Twitter’s failure to follow through with this plan of stripping so-called legacy verified users of their blue checkmarks.
Twitter Verified icon seen on mobile screen with Elon Musk in the background illustration.
Key Facts
Following Sunday’s update, all accounts with a blue checkmark display the same description, which says: “This account is verified because it’s subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account.”
This is a change from Twitter’s previous labels for blue verified badges, which clearly mentioned if the account in question was a “legacy verified account” or an account that “is verified because it’s subscribed to Twitter Blue.”
Twitter has not officially commented about the change, and its CEO Elon Musk has only reacted to a tweet about it with a relieved face emoji.
The change has elicited mixed reactions from users, with several people, with some users pointing out that this could make potential impersonator accounts appear more convincing.
The change comes a day after Twitter was supposed to remove “verified” status of accounts that did not subscribe to Twitter Blue, a move that has yet to follow through with.
Surprising Fact
Although Twitter’s latest change makes it a lot harder to distinguish between users whose identity was actually verified by Twitter and those who received the badge by paying $8 a month, many users have already posted about workarounds to this. Twitter’s search function still allows users to filter legacy verified and paid verified accounts. In addition to that, there are some browser extensions that still allow users to distinguish between the two types of verified accounts.
Key Background
The latest change to Twitter’s handling of verified accounts comes a day after the company failed to follow through with its plan to strip non-paying legacy verified accounts of their blue checkmarks. The reason behind this is unclear, but the Washington Post reported that Twitter lacks an automated solution to strip all legacy verified accounts of their badges, as the original verification process used to be manual and relied on an Excel-like spreadsheet. Another potential reason was hinted by Musk himself, who tweeted that the platform was offering a “grace” period to allow people to sign up. In the now deleted tweet, Musk warned that users who say they won’t pay for Twitter Blue will have their check marks removed immediately. The billionaire then followed through with his threat by revoking the verification badge from the New York Times’ primary handle after a user pointed out that the newspaper previously stated it would not pay.
Further Reading
Musk Appears To Revoke N.Y. Times’ Blue Checkmark For Refusing To Buy Paid Twitter Subscription (Forbes)
Twitter’s blue check mark was loved and loathed. Now it’s pay for play. (Washington Post)
Twitter’s Blue Check Apocalypse Is Upon Us. Here’s What to Know. (New York Times)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/04/03/twitters-new-blue-checkmark-label-removes-distinction-between-paying-subscribers-and-legacy-verified-users/