In a surprising move, Elon Musk's platform, X, has begun restoring complimentary blue check verifications to certain users.
This decision has sparked confusion and raised eyebrows across the platform, adding another unexpected turn to the ongoing saga surrounding X's policies and features.
This photo illustration, taken on December 18, 2022, in Los Angeles, shows a phone displaying Elon Musk's Twitter page, where he is conducting a survey about his future as the company's head. Twitter announced on December 18 that it would no longer allow users to promote their accounts on several rival social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. (Photo by Chris DELMAS / AFP)
Blue Checkmarks for Free?
Twitter's blue checkmarks symbolized verification, which was commonly bestowed upon celebrities, politicians, and other influential figures on social media.
However, this practice underwent a significant overhaul following Musk's acquisition of the platform for $44 billion in October 2022.
Associated Press reported that many users witnessed the reappearance of blue checks on their accounts or observed them for the first time, even though they hadn't subscribed to "premium" services on X.
Last year, X transitioned to a model where verification checks were exclusively available to users who subscribed to the service, starting at $8 per month. This change resulted in the removal of verification badges from numerous high-profile accounts, sparking confusion, grievances, and an influx of fraudulent profiles.
Last week, Musk announced that X accounts with more than 2,500 verified subscriber followers would receive Premium features, including a checkmark, for free. Accounts with over 5,000 subscribers would receive Premium+ for free. However, the specific rationale behind this new policy remained unclear.
Receiving Mixed Reactions
The response to this announcement was varied. While some users welcomed the verification, others expressed frustration. Actress Yvette Nicole Brown voiced her confusion and disapproval in a post on Wednesday evening, emphasizing that she had not paid for the service and would not do so.
As X's blue check has come to symbolize support for the platform's new ownership and subscription model, some users shared instructions on removing the newly added blue checks through settings adjustments.
This week, several users posted about their blue checks on the platform, sharing notifications they received indicating they were being granted the free Premium subscription as influential members of the X community.
In addition to the blue check controversy, X continues to grapple with user and advertiser backlash over persistent concerns regarding content moderation and the spread of misinformation and hate speech. Critics argue that these issues have intensified since Musk's takeover.
Notable brands like IBM, NBCUniversal, and Comcast's parent company announced in November their decision to halt advertising on X following reports by Media Matters, a liberal advocacy group. The reports highlighted instances where their ads appeared alongside content praising Nazis.
This move dealt a significant blow to X's efforts to regain advertising revenue, which is crucial for the platform's financial sustainability. Musk's response, characterized by profanity-laden tirades, accused these companies of "blackmail" and urged them to disassociate from the platform.
Moreover, X has initiated legal action against entities documenting the proliferation of hate speech and racism on the platform, such as Media Matters and the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate.
However, a federal judge recently dismissed the lawsuit against the latter organization, marking a setback for X's attempts to curb scrutiny of its content moderation practices.
