Chaos and confusion: Aftermath of Twitter's legacy blue tick removal
It is an end of an era on Twitter as the platform removed legacy blue checkmarks. As promised by Elon Musk long ago, blue checks are only for those who pay for them via the Twitter Blue program. However, the beginning of the platform's new chapter was marred with confusion and chaos. Let's look at what ensued after the removal of legacy blue checks.
Why does this story matter?
Musk has never been a fan of Twitter handing out blue checkmarks to celebrities and people of importance. When he acquired the platform, he made it clear that the practice would be done away with. It has finally happened. Paid verification is the new normal now. In the coming days, we will see how this change will affect Twitter's credibility.
Only paid subscribers have blue checkmarks now
In November last year, Musk said "far too many corrupt blue legacy verification checkmarks exist" on Twitter. He has now succeeded in his mission to make it a paid-only feature. When you see a blue check on Twitter now, it simply means the user paid for the company's monthly subscription service. Does it really, though?
Few critics of paid verification retained their blue check
A few hours after blue checkmarks disappeared all together, people noticed something really interesting. Some people who have been rather vocal against paying for the blue tick still had them. NBA superstar Lebron James had previously said he wouldn't pay for the premium service. However, he still retained his blue check. The same was the case with author Stephen King.
Some blue checkmarks left users confused
This led to confusion among many users. Users wondered whether the likes of James and King relented and decided to pay for the blue check. That would make sense because if you click their checkmarks, you will see that their account is verified as they are subscribed to Twitter Blue and verified their phone numbers. That wasn't the case, however.
A few celebrities received complimentary Twitter Blue subscription
King took to Twitter to clarify he did not pay for Twitter Blue. James's media advisor said the same to The Verge. What happened then? Well, some celebrities were offered a complimentary subscription to Twitter Blue. James and King were among them. James received an email that extended "a complimentary subscription to Twitter Blue for your account, @kingjames, on behalf of Elon Musk."
Stephen King was as surprised as everyone else
Musk intervened to ensure some legacy checkmarks are left untouched
Musk later popped up with a clarification about the situation. Apparently, he is paying for the blue checkmark of James, King, William Shatner, and a few others. "I'm paying for a few personally," Musk wrote on Twitter. But why did he pay for a few and not others? There are many celebrities who did not get the royal treatment from Twitter.
Even the Pope did not receive preferential treatment from Twitter
Among those who did not get preferential treatment are the Pope, former US president Donald Trump, Beyoncé, Cristiano Ronaldo, Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, and Oprah, among others. Now we know they did not pay for Twitter Blue.
