Twitter has made yet another change to its verification system by now showing a message on ‘legacy verified accounts’ that were verified under Twitter’s previous verification process, noting that these accounts ‘may or may not be notable,’ replacing the previous label that said that accounts that were genuinely verified by Twitter were ‘notable in government, news, entertainment, or another designated category.’
The change, which is currently shown to users who access Twitter via the official Twitter Beta app, shows the pop-up message when users tap the blue checkmark badge on accounts that were verified prior to Elon Musk’s turbulent takeover of the platform, with a similar pop-up showing on the accounts of paying subscribers to the service’s Twitter Blue subscription, confirming that these users purchased their verification badges.
Elon Musk has heavily changed Twitter’s verification system since acquiring the social network for $44 billion. In the past, users could trust that an account with a blue badge had been vetted by Twitter and genuinely belonged to whoever it claimed to be, whether that be an individual or a brand, but now, absolutely anyone can purchase a blue tick from Twitter, even if they aren’t who they say they are, without any type of ID check, meaning that the blue badge is no longer a way to tell if an account is authentic.
The move to sell blue badges has been heavily criticized by government officials, companies, brands, and influential individuals who see the decision by Twitter CEO Elon Musk as irresponsible, putting many high-profile Twitter users at risk of impersonation and the spread of misinformation.
With a forthcoming change to Twitter Blue, Elon Musk has said that accounts subscribing to the pay monthly service will only receive the blue checkmark once they add a verified phone number to their account, which will undergo a mini review prior to the blue badge appearing.