Elon Musk, the new chief of Twitter, has been making significant changes to the social media platform since taking over. One of the most recent changes was to the Blue subscription model, making it mandatory for users to purchase the subscription to get verified on the platform. However, there was still confusion about what would happen to those who earned the verified badge before the changes were introduced.
After several weeks of uncertainty, Elon Musk finally clarified in a tweet that Twitter will remove the legacy Blue checks from accounts holding them. Musk believes that “those are the ones that are truly corrupt.” Twitter has now confirmed that the removal of legacy verified checkmarks will begin on April 1st, and they will begin winding down the legacy verified program.
The move to remove the legacy Blue verified badge will force users to purchase a new Blue subscription that starts at $8 a month. This can be seen as an attempt to increase Twitter’s revenue. However, Twitter is also planning to release a new paid plan to offer a completely ad-free experience. This plan is expected to cost higher than the existing Blue subscription.
Twitter’s recent update enables creators to earn money from the platform. The company has started sharing ad revenues with creators by displaying advertisements in replies, but this feature is currently limited to Blue subscribers in the United States. Additionally, Blue subscribers can now post long-form content on Twitter. Musk’s ultimate goal is to make Twitter an “everything app” and eventually become a profitable entity.
The announcement has sparked mixed reactions among Twitter users. Some have expressed frustration at having to pay for verification again, especially since they had already earned the badge. Others believe that it is a necessary step to improve the platform’s quality and weed out fraudulent accounts.
