In a significant move, Elon Musk’s micro-blogging site, Twitter, removed the legacy verified blue ticks from all accounts on Thursday. This decision impacted several Indian celebrities, including Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, and Salman Khan, whose film Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan premieres today, April 21.
Celebrities Lose Their Prestigious Status
Numerous Indian celebrities, such as Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Akshay Kumar, Kajol, Madhuri Dixit, Anushka Sharma, and Anil Kapoor, among others, experienced the loss of their verified status. It is important to note that only individual Twitter users with verified blue checkmarks are those who subscribe to Twitter Blue, a service that costs $8 per month via the web and $11 per month through in-app payments on iOS and Android devices.
Cricketers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma also joined the list of celebrities who lost their blue tick status after Elon Musk implemented the changes on Twitter on Thursday. International celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber, Jon Stewart, and Ben Stiller were among those who lost their blue tick as well.
Celebrity Reactions to Losing Verified Status
Actor Ben Stiller humorously commented on the situation, tweeting, “No blue check, still feel like me.” Similarly, former Daily Show host Jon Stewart expressed his feelings with a tweet, “So sad… am I… still me?”
Fascinatingly, despite LeBron James, a prominent American football player, expressing through a tweet that he wouldn’t pay the required amount to maintain his verified status on Twitter, saying, “Welp guess my blue tick will be gone soon cause if you know me I ain’t paying the five,” he has managed to retain his blue checkmark. It is intriguing to observe how certain high-profile individuals like LeBron are able to maintain their verification status, even in light of their refusal to comply with the platform’s monetization strategy. This raises questions about the consistency and fairness of the verification process on Twitter.
Twitter’s Announcement of the Changes
Prior to Elon Musk’s takeover, Twitter declared its intention to revoke the verified checkmark status of accounts previously recognized as notable, unless they subscribed to either Twitter Blue or the business-centric Twitter Verified Organizations plan. In a tweet from March, the company stated, “Starting April 1st, we will phase out our legacy verified program and remove legacy verified checkmarks. Individuals who wish to retain their blue checkmark on Twitter can subscribe to Twitter Blue.” This move highlights a shift in Twitter’s approach to account verification, transitioning from a recognition of notability to a subscription-based model.
Impact on Celebrities and Public Figures
The removal of verified blue ticks has generated mixed reactions from celebrities and public figures alike. Some see it as an opportunity to demonstrate their authenticity and credibility without relying on the blue tick, while others perceive it as a loss of status and recognition. Ultimately, the move signifies a significant shift in Twitter’s approach to verifying accounts and raises questions about the value of a verified status in the age of social media.
