Last year, Elon Musk’s social networking platform X (formerly known as Twitter) introduced a feature allowing paid subscribers to conceal their blue checkmarks from others, especially after these checkmarks predominantly became a paid feature. However, the company is now reversing course once again. Users are receiving notifications warning them that this feature will soon be discontinued.
As with previous decisions made by X, there is no specific timeline provided for when this change will take effect. However, certainly, this move will only add to the confusion surrounding the significance of the blue checkmark in today’s context. This confusion is exacerbated by yet another recent change: X is now extending blue-check status to more non-paying users based on the number of “blue check” followers they have.
Last week, the company removed a section from its X Premium support page detailing how paying users could hide their checkmarks. This week, it started sending notifications to Premium users to clarify the impending change.
Before Elon Musk’s tenure, a blue checkmark on your Twitter handle was considered the ultimate humblebrag, bestowed by Twitter itself based on the prominence or impact of your social media profile or influence in the broader world. Its purpose was to distinguish authentic accounts from impersonations.
However, everything changed when Elon Musk took over and transformed blue check marks into a premium, paid feature, essentially allowing anyone to purchase the symbol for a nominal fee. Consequently, the symbol lost its value as a symbol of status or verification, and perhaps even became somewhat embarrassing.
Despite the reluctance of some users to acknowledge that they were paying for a feature in a platform that had undergone significant upheaval under its new owner, there were other perks to the premium tier, such as editing capabilities, the ability to post longer messages, and additional features for direct messaging. This led to Twitter/X offering the option to hide blue check marks.
Now, those who were once hesitant users of the premium tier are expressing their discontent.
The platform is still grappling with significant trust and safety challenges, extending beyond issues like impersonation to include misinformation, harassment, and other forms of abusive content. When Elon converted the blue checkmark feature into a revenue-generating tool, he undermined its original purpose of addressing some of these issues.
X has implemented several changes that have muddled the meaning of blue checkmarks on the platform. Initially, only paying users were eligible for check marks, yet some accounts seemed to retain blue checks without paying. Later, the company officially reinstated blue checkmarks for a select few top accounts.
More recently, the social network began awarding blue checkmarks to influential users with over 2,500 “verified” followers. Additionally, the company introduced its Premium subscription for these users and a Premium+ subscription for those with over 5,000 verified followers. However, this system operates somewhat like a pyramid scheme, with a mix of paid and unpaid verified users, without clear marking or explanation.
