Twitter verification badge changes cause confusion
Twitter has bewildered users with its continuously-shifting approach to verified accounts in the past few weeks.
The confusion started late last month when Twitter said it would begin removing legacy verified badges from 1 April 2023.
That implied all individual users would have to subscribe to Twitter Blue to keep a verification badge on their accounts.
However, on 2 April 2023, Twitter chief Elon Musk said that users with old verification badges would be given a few weeks’ grace unless they specifically said they would not pay for the service.
In the case of the latter, their verification would be instantly removed.
Musk deleted that tweet shortly after that, but that is what appears to have happened to the account of the New York Times, which has said it will not pay for Twitter Blue.
The publication has generally been very critical of Musk, while the billionaire has accused it of spreading propaganda.
Curiously, some of the publication’s affiliates — like New York Times Arts, New York Times Books, NYT Politics, and New York Times World have retained their gold badges.
Organisations that want a gold verification badge will reportedly have to dish out a $1,000 monthly fee and an additional $50 per verified affiliated sub-account, although this remains to be confirmed.
The New York Times has also reported that 10,000 of the top-followed sites and 500 major advertisers would retain their gold badges without subscribing to Twitter Blue.
Profiles of confirmed prominent political figures will retain a grey checkmark, which they don’t have to pay for.
Only one type of Twitter blue badge
Engadget also pointed out that users like basketball player LeBron James and The White House said they would not pay for verification and still had blue checkmarks next to their names at the time of publication.
That has made people wonder whether certain individual accounts will keep their blue badges without paying.
Adding to the confusion, Twitter has stopped distinguishing between blue verification checkmarks from legacy verified accounts and those who received their badges by paying a Twitter Blue subscription.
Previously, clicking on the verification badge of an account would show one of two results:
“This is a legacy verified account. It may or may not be notable.” or “This account is verified because it’s subscribed to Twitter Blue.”
Now, the same message is shown for both types of users:
“This account is verified because it’s subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account.”
The change has led to some accountholders who are staunch Musk critics having to clarify to their followers that they are not paying for Twitter Blue.
Now read: What Google is doing to tackle scam ads impersonating rich and famous South Africans
Loading ...