Twitter removes Blue Verified Badge of non-paying usersFull story in 10-points

By Abhik SenguptaTwitter has removed legacy blue verified badges from profiles not subscribed to Twitter Blue subscription. As promised by the company owner Elon Musk earlier this month, Twitter users who got verified under the old regime will lose the coveted blue tick if they do not pay before April 20 – 4/20. Twitter had initially planned to remove legacy verified badges from April 1, but only select users lost the blue tick from their profile.

Even now, select Twitter users have the Blue tick despite not paying for a Twitter Blue subscription. If you’re wondering why Twitter took the decision and does it make sense to take a Twitter Blue subscription just for the verified badge? Here is the full story in 10 points.

–Twitter initially announced plans to roll out a revamped Twitter Blue subscription late last year following Elon Musk’s takeover. Once users get the subscription, they will automatically receive the blue tick mark if the mobile number is verified.

–Under the old system, Twitter distributed blue badges to profiles to help others know that the account was of public interest. Users had to apply for the badges by filling out a form. However, the old verification system was not always fair, and the process felt somewhat arbitrary. Musk wants to get rid of the exclusivity from the platform.

Instead, he wants users to easily get the blue badge and enjoy some premium features by paying for a subscription.

–Many celebrities and news outlets have criticised Musk’s decision to bundle the blue badge with the Twitter Blue subscription. During Blue’s initial rollout, many accounts with random usernames and deceptive profile pictures got verified. Some even fear that Twitter Blue, which bundles the verified badge, will validate accounts with spam-like behaviour.

–Before the current update, Twitter users with legacy blue ticks were followed by Twitter’s Verified account. Twitter had over four lakh verified users.

–At this point, several celebrities have lost the coveted blue tick. This includes Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, and Virat Kohli. International celebrities with active Twitter profiles, including Selena Gomez, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, and Lady Gaga, are not verified anymore either.

–However, some Twitter profiles are still verified even after not subscribing to Twitter Blue. This includes author Stephen King and NBA player LeBron James. A user suggests that “Elon Musk has decided to personally intervene to provide blue checks to Stephen King and LeBron James, falsely saying they paid for Twitter Blue because each made high-profile tweets saying they definitely wouldn’t pay for it.”

–Currently, politicians do not have the blue tick either, but Twitter recently added a grey tick on their profiles to let users know the nature of the account. The grey tick reads, “This account is verified because it is a government or multilateral organization account.” The badge is added to the profiles of PM Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, UK PM Rishi Sunak, and more.

–Old users who still want to retain their verified status have to buy a Twitter Blue subscription. The pricing of the Blue subscriptions varies according to the market. In India, the subscription costs Rs 900 per month via iPhones and Android smartphones. On the Twitter website, the cost goes down to Rs 650 per month. Users can also go for an annual subscription that costs relatively cheaper.

–Whether you should get a Twitter Blue subscription varies from user to user. Verified badges have some advantages. Tweets put out from a verified profile will have more visibility. It may or may not lead to an increase in the follower count. Otherwise, you can enjoy some exclusive features such as long-form tweets or edit/undo tweets.

–Twitter Blue will not remove ads from the timeline. This is unlike YouTube Premium or Netflix subscription, which removes ads.