Normally, I would believe that this is an April fool’s joke. But given that we’re talking about Elon Musk here, it’s not a joke. It’s just his latest act of desperation. According to PC Magazine, Elon is about to do this:
No joke: On April 1, Twitter will start removing blue checkmarks from legacy verified users.
To retain the blue check, individuals must sign up for Twitter Blue, an $8-per-month subscription service ($11 on iOS) that lets folks write longer tweets, edit posts, upload 1080p video, access dedicated customer support, and more.
Twitter verification launched in 2009 to distinguish genuine, notable account holders—celebrities, organizations, etc.—from impersonators. Until November 2022, a blue checkmark indicated an account was actually owned by the entity it claimed to represent.
Since Elon Musk took over the platform, though, things have become more complicated. Musk has repeatedly said that those who received their blue checkmarks in the years before his acquisition are “totally corrupt” because some people allegedly paid for them. Going through a legit payment system from Apple or Google is more secure, he argued. But when Twitter Blue started selling access to a blue checkmark in early November, impersonators quickly seized on the opportunity. (Though it may have resulted in cheaper insulin in the US, oddly enough.)
This is a really stupid idea as I suspect that there will not be many people who presently have a checkmark are not going to pay $8 a month to Elon. And I also suspect it will drive those people from Twitter. And not having “notable” people on Twitter will make it far less appealing to advertisers. Thus you have to wonder if this is one of those things that Elon hasn’t thought through and will later do a 180 on. Or is he going to die on this hill just to try and make a few extra bucks.
Buckle up. This is going to interesting to watch.
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This entry was posted on March 24, 2023 at 12:29 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Twitter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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Twitter’s Decision To Kill Legacy Verified Checkmarks On April Fools Day Is Elon Musk’s Latest Act Of Desperation
Normally, I would believe that this is an April fool’s joke. But given that we’re talking about Elon Musk here, it’s not a joke. It’s just his latest act of desperation. According to PC Magazine, Elon is about to do this:
No joke: On April 1, Twitter will start removing blue checkmarks from legacy verified users.
To retain the blue check, individuals must sign up for Twitter Blue, an $8-per-month subscription service ($11 on iOS) that lets folks write longer tweets, edit posts, upload 1080p video, access dedicated customer support, and more.
Twitter verification launched in 2009 to distinguish genuine, notable account holders—celebrities, organizations, etc.—from impersonators. Until November 2022, a blue checkmark indicated an account was actually owned by the entity it claimed to represent.
Since Elon Musk took over the platform, though, things have become more complicated. Musk has repeatedly said that those who received their blue checkmarks in the years before his acquisition are “totally corrupt” because some people allegedly paid for them. Going through a legit payment system from Apple or Google is more secure, he argued. But when Twitter Blue started selling access to a blue checkmark in early November, impersonators quickly seized on the opportunity. (Though it may have resulted in cheaper insulin in the US, oddly enough.)
This is a really stupid idea as I suspect that there will not be many people who presently have a checkmark are not going to pay $8 a month to Elon. And I also suspect it will drive those people from Twitter. And not having “notable” people on Twitter will make it far less appealing to advertisers. Thus you have to wonder if this is one of those things that Elon hasn’t thought through and will later do a 180 on. Or is he going to die on this hill just to try and make a few extra bucks.
Buckle up. This is going to interesting to watch.
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This entry was posted on March 24, 2023 at 12:29 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Twitter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.