With the latest update coming straight from the Twitter lane, Elon Musk removed all the Twitter verifications from legacy accounts. According to earlier updates, Twitter blue check marks could be bought, and there were variations of Grey, Gold, And Blue check marks given to accounts of politicians, organizations, and social figures.
On Friday morning, hundreds of thousands of Twitter users discovered that their Blue Tick, a checkmark that once gave their account some kind of validity, was missing. The removal of Blue Tick from all accounts that do not pay for Twitter Blue service was previously announced by Twitter CEO Elon Musk to take place on April 20.
What WAS the Blue Tick?
Before this change, celebrities, influencers, journalists, and other individuals who met specific criteria and adhered to Twitter’s rules—described on the business website as “active, notable, and authentic of public interest”—were awarded the blue tick.
The blue tick, which was awarded to a small number of users—both personal and commercial accounts—would earn importance and legitimacy from the platform’s millions of other users.
What is a Legacy Account
Legacy accounts were those that had already undergone verification due to their notoriety in the media. Celebrities, journalists, influencers, and public figures all liked these accounts.
Twitter started its “Twitter verification mark” system in 2009 after a bunch of legal consequences. A Twitter blue check mark verification symbol on an account means that, according to Twitter, “we’ve been in contact with the person or entity the account is representing and verified that it is approved.”
Elon Musk’s Concerns
Before he took over Twitter, Musk criticized the Twitter verification system. He said that the previous Twitter administration had a bias when verifying accounts. Additionally, he claimed that the Blue Tick system has divided Twitter users into two groups. So, as soon as Musk gained control of Twitter, he began marketing the Blue Tick. He said that anyone could now own the Blue Tick by shelling out just $8 every month.
Through these verified accounts, he was also concerned about the fake news being spread and didn’t know whether these accounts were worth that status on the micro-blogging platform.
Elon Musk has seen and has been vocal about the misinformation being spread on Twitter ever since the pandemic. He was beyond concerned about the lame, and sometimes dangerous tips being shared; sometimes by verified accounts.
Fake news only leads to chaos and if verification and a paid Twitter blue checkmark can solve that, then why not.
This seemingly unnecessary step taken by Musk could be his plan to eradicate or lessen the spread of accounts known for racism, false activism, misinformation, and in general hateful comments.
The Consequences
Three categories of users emerged as a result, as opposed to the previous two: those who received Blue Tick as a verification badge from the prior Twitter administration, those who purchased Blue Tick from the new Twitter, and those who had none.
Some people may feel that the blue check mark that used to be shown next to a user’s name has lost its charm because anybody can purchase one and put it on their profile. But nobody can dispute that it was helpful and accomplished its goal of distinguishing legitimate reports from fictitious or mocking ones. Although Twitter has established rules for these accounts, the issue may still exist.
As a result, users may need to take an additional step that involves cross-referencing their accounts with those of other websites. For instance, the majority of famous people or organizations publish their Twitter accounts on other social networking sites. Additionally, the majority of businesses publish their social media usernames on their websites, allowing users to confirm the legitimacy of an account they are following.
The practice of making fun of individuals who paid for Twitter Blue and received a Blue Tick quickly became a meme. Musk then decided to tweak the wording on the Blue Tick, further confusing the situation.
