Twitter Blue: Confusion, Chaos Among Twitter Users as Elon Musk Removes Checkmarks on Verified Accounts

• Elon Musk introduced changes to Twitter verification budges since he acquired the company in October 2022
• Twitter completed the rollout of its legacy programme Twitter Blue on Thursday, April 20, removing blue checkmarks on verified accounts
• The changes, for the better part of Friday, April 21, wreaked havoc across the giant social media platform as users raised concerns about misinformation

Barely a day after Twitter effected changes to Elon Musk's legacy programme, the social media platform has turned out chaotic.

The majority of users woke up in dismay after their blue checkmarks disappeared in the new changes to Twitter Blue.

Twitter subscribers raised concerns about misinformation and hate speech, which gained traction for the better part of Friday, April 21.

Government labels vanish

According to BBC, Twitter used to have labels in the bios and tweets of the government and certain media accounts.

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These labels gave users more context about high-ranking politicians or state-affiliated entities, but they are now gone.

Many parody accounts have been created on the social platform, limiting such entities, organisations and high-ranking personalities.

Anyone can pay for Twitter Blue

The worst mistake is, existing parody accounts can easily pay $8 per month or $84 (KSh 11,369) per year to get verified.

"The blue tick means nothing except that you’ve paid. Some people have paid for good reasons, but some people have paid for bad reasons. It doesn’t say anything about the quality of the person or their authenticity,” Rory Cellan-Jones, a technology writer and consultant.

"Acting together, these trolls can make content go viral more easily with a blue tick. Conversely, the opposite applies to genuine accounts that do not want to pay," said James Clayton, North America technology reporter.

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Prominent people are yet to pay for the blue checkmarks or are weighing on the importance and features.

Others, like CNN journalist Larry Madowo, had vowed not to pay for the blue checkmark, and when it was removed, he made good on his promise to stay without one.

However, fan page accounts have moved on to retain the blue tick amid the confusion and disquiet among celebrities related to them.

Problem identifying a genuine Twitter account

The King Babar Azam Army fan page, with 13,000 followers, has retained the blue tick, while the Pakistani cricketer's account, with 4.6 million followers, did not.

Trusted news accounts had verification checkmarks, but they have momentarily disappeared.

"The risk is two-fold. It's hard to distinguish the real account from others impersonating it,".

"Now you have to use other clues to spot who is who. Look at old tweets, their follower count - and whether their tweets are as you would expect," said Marianna Spring, a social media correspondent.

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The Big Sort: Twitter ticks check out

Top entities and personalities got into the mix

YEN.com.gh is among the notable and trusted news publishers that have lost the checkmark.

This move also saw top global celebrities, philanthropists, businessmen, women, and media houses lose their checks.

Among those affected by the move include Twitter's founder Jack Dorsey, Beyonce, Bill Gates, Meek Mill and others.

Source: TUKO.co.ke