Celebrities Finally Lose Twitter Verified Status

Donald Trump is among the celebrities to have his blue tick removed by Twitter. Only subscribers to Twitter Blue will have access to the feature.

Twitter admins have begun taking the legendary blue tick from several of the website’s high-profile subscribers. On Thursday, blue checkmarks disappeared from the pages of Bill Gates, Justin Bieber, Donald Trump, and Twitter founder, Jack Dorsey. Celebrities like Oprah, Ricky Gervais, Beyonce, JK Rowling, and Megan Thee Stallion all no longer have the blue verified badge. Even the Pope has lost his.

Musk Shakes Things Up

The removal of legacy blue ticks has been one of Elon Musk’s most controversial moves since he acquired the platform for $44 billion in October 2021.

Verified Badges Are a Twitter Blue Feature

Another former US President, Barack Obama, still has his own blue tick. His verified badge explains that “This account is verified because it’s an affiliate of @TheObamaOffice on Twitter.” The logo of the affiliate organization, in this case, Obama’s official office, sits next to the blue tick. Bill Clinton, on the other hand, appears to be subscribed to Twitter Blue. However, his wife, Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State and two-time presidential candidate, does not have one.

Under the original blue tick system, Twitter had around 300,000 verified users, including actors, authors, musicians, journalists, and other public figures. To its critics, the system had become too bloated and included many people of little note.

However, Twitter will no longer verify accounts to ensure their legitimacy, except for those with a Twitter Blue subscription or those affiliated with the company. Different colored checkmarks, such as gold and grey, will still indicate verified businesses and government organizations. 

Musk first introduced the paid-for blue tick last December. He has claimed he had little choice but to increase revenue to save the company from bankruptcy.