Twitter has begun to remove blue checkmarks en masse from legacy verified accounts.
The new development is in fulfillment of Elon Musk, Twitter’s chief executive officer’s long-stated plans for the social media network.
Twitter had earlier revealed that the legacy verified checkmarks would be removed from the site on April 20.
“Tomorrow, 4/20, we are removing legacy verified checkmarks,” it wrote on Wednesday.
The microblogging platform also asked users who desire “to remain verified to sign up for Twitter Blue here.”
Tomorrow, 4/20, we are removing legacy verified checkmarks. To remain verified on Twitter, individuals can sign up for Twitter Blue here: https://t.co/gzpCcwOXAX
Organizations can sign up for Verified Organizations here: https://t.co/YtPVNYypHU
Advertisement— Twitter Verified (@verified) April 19, 2023
On Thursday, the legacy checkmarks began disappearing from Twitter accounts whose users are reluctant to pay $8 monthly for the traditional blue badge.
‘Legacy’ blue ticks were initially given to verified accounts belonging to people of public interest including celebrities, politicians, and journalists.
Some of the most-followed prominent persons on Twitter who have lost their legacy verification status include Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, and Selena Gomez.
Others are Bill Gates, Justin Timberlake, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Oprah Winfrey, and Beyoncé.
In Nigeria, prominent figures like Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, Bola Tinubu, Davido, and Wizkid have lost their legacy verification status.
There was, however, confusion after some legacy accounts seemed to retain their ticks.
Musk has been vocal about his dislike for the legacy verification system, calling it “bullshit,” “corrupt,” and a “lords & peasants system.”
Earlier this month, the Twitter CEO also stripped the verification badge from the New York Times’ primary account. This was after the news outlet had stated publicly that it would not pay for verified status on Twitter.
Twitter’s latest action, it is believed, could trigger an even greater risk of impersonation of high-profile users and also create confusion over the authenticity of information on the microblogging service.
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