Twitter is set to remove thousands of legacy verification check marks from accounts belonging to celebrities, politicians, journalists, and others on April Fools' Day. This comes 20 days later than initially promised and caps a busy week for Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. The decision has sparked controversy with some applauding Musk's move as promoting equality on the platform while others worry it will lead to an increase in impersonation accounts and misinformation spreading.
Elon Musk took over Twitter in a $44 billion deal last October and has since implemented significant changes at the company. These include cutting the majority of staff positions, firing several executives, and reinstating previously banned accounts.
As part of this overhaul, Twitter will remove "legacy" verified blue ticks from its "official" checkmarks today. Companies wishing to retain their "official", or gold tick status must pay £11,400 per year while governments are exempt from fees for their new grey ticks. This change stems from Musk's intention to dismantle what he calls the "lords & peasants system for who has or doesn't have a blue checkmark."
Users expressed disappointment following Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter, voicing concerns about potential negative outcomes stemming from his decisions. However, upon taking control of the platform last year, Musk did anticipate backlash stating that there would be many "'dumb things'" occurring on the site during his tenure.
Jane Thompson-Clarke, social media analyst at Digital Trends Consulting said:
Musk remains committed to transforming how verification works within Twitter despite these criticisms:
As Twitter moves forward with removing legacy verification check marks, the platform will navigate a fine line between promoting equality and managing the potential for increased impersonation accounts and misinformation.