On Thursday, Twitter let the legacy verified blue check holders know that under the Elon Musk regime your legitimacy is moot without the almighty dollar. Since the inception of Twitter Blue, an opt-in, paid subscription that adds a blue checkmark to your account and offers early access to select features, Musk has waged war on the original blue check system.
The outrage and confusion were swift when many celebrities and athletes woke up to the surprise purge of their Twitter credibility. Current Super Bowl-winning quarterback Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs wasn’t shy about wanting his blue check back and reached out to Musk publicly on Twitter asking for it.
“@elonmusk let me get my blue check back!” Mahomes tweeted on Thursday with three laughing while-crying emojis. By Saturday, the check was back, and he tweeted Musk again, “Appreciate it @elonmusk.”
Mahomes’ second tweet was also to assure the public that he did not pay for the reinstatement of his verified status, a little nuance that matters now in the world of the blue check holders. Once the ultimate status symbol on Twitter, Musk has systematically devolved the blue check to a gray area where paying for online respect makes many feel disrespected.
Blue Chin Check
Other stars were dumbfounded.
“wait why did they take away my blue check???” Angel Reese tweeted. She still does not have her blue check back.
“Wait we don’t have a blue check anymore ? since when,” NFL quarterback Lamar Jackson tweeted. When a random Twitter user told him he had to pay for it now, he replied, “I had it for years for free. keep it.” He now has his blue check back.
“We are removing legacy verified checkmarks,” the company said in a statement on Twitter. “To remain verified on Twitter, individuals can sign up for Twitter Blue.”
After buying Twitter for $44 billion, Musk wasted no time criticizing the legacy approach to celebrity verification, news organizations, and government accounts.
“Twitter’s current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bull***t,” Musk said via a statement in November 2022. Thus the subscription model was birthed, allegedly with the promise of other perks, including more prominent placement in conversations on Twitter.
Twitter Blues
However, removing legacy blue checks from accounts, especially in media, has led many to believe that misinformation will follow with impersonators and scams. Musk believes paying for the subscription allows the organization to vet and approve you for a fee.
Now verification on Twitter can take your social media image in a few directions, and none are comfortable. Verified accounts run the gamut from loyalty to the Musk regime that drives you to pay; shame for the belief you paid for it; and it was taken away then reappeared without you asking. Ultimately, only some will respect the check if a Twitter user pays Elon Musk for legitimacy into a club of people who earned it through tweeting and gaining an audience.
Patrick Mahomes showed that the thirst for the blue check is real for some, and if you beseech Elon Musk you might get what you crave. Others, like Lamar Jackson, said they are not paying for it anymore but got it back anyway. Confusion abounds, and Elon Musk has successfully confused us all.
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