It seems that Elon Musk’s social media platform, X (formerly known as Twitter), has made a surprising move by restoring blue check marks to popular users overnight.
This decision has caused some confusion among users, as many of them are clarifying that they did not pay for this privilege.
Musk had previously announced his intention to do away with legacy blue checks shortly after acquiring Twitter in October 2022, criticizing the company’s verification policy as “corrupt and nonsensical.”
His new policy, which required users to subscribe to X Premium (formerly Twitter Blue) for as low as $8 per month to maintain their blue checks, came into effect in April 2023.
However, Musk quickly reversed course and restored verified badges for high-profile celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber, Oprah Winfrey, and Beyoncé to prevent any confusion about the authenticity of their accounts.
Now, the platform has extended this privilege to what X refers to as “influential members of the community.”
The criteria for receiving a complimentary subscription to X Premium were outlined by Musk in a post on X, stating that accounts with over 2,500 verified subscriber followers would receive Premium features for free, while accounts with over 5,000 followers would get Premium+ at no cost.
This policy went into effect recently, leading many of these “influential” users to clarify that they did not pay for the Premium subscription to regain their blue checks.
Celebrities like Yvette Nicole Brown and Jeffrey Wright expressed surprise at having their blue checks reinstated without payment.
Wright even joked about the situation, calling X a “Garbage Tower of Babel shitsite.” Not everyone was happy with the decision, as “The Wire” creator David Simon voiced his discontent in colorful language.
Despite the backlash, representatives for X have not responded to inquiries from Variety regarding the recent changes.
This move by X has sparked debates and discussions on social media, with users questioning the platform’s motives and transparency in implementing these changes.
