Hilarious meme fest starts as Twitter removes legacy blue tick
Micro-blogging site Twitter on April 21 changed its policy regarding blue tick verification. The change in structure resulted in the removal of blue ticks from multiple high-profile accounts. The action triggered a meme fest on social media.
The only individual Twitter users who have verified blue checkmarks are those paying for Twitter Blue, which costs USD 8/month via the web and USD 11/month through in-app payment on iOS and Android.
Check out some hilarious netizens' reactions.
Me counting all the celebrities who’ve lost their blue check mark pic.twitter.com/99mSXHDhJ8
— Danny (@jonathansiris) April 20, 2023
You must pay the $8 to get a blue check mark pic.twitter.com/4dctJzOuql
— Sub6Six (@sub6six) April 20, 2023
Think of me fondly, little #BlueCheckMark. Think of the good times we had. pic.twitter.com/XKqgntMUD8
— Corps of Engineers (@PortlandCorps) April 20, 2023
Due to the recent development, several global personalities including Pope Francis, Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, BTS, and BLACKPINK, among others have lost their verified blue ticks from their Twitter accounts.
Earlier it was announced that the microblogging site will remove the verified check-mark status of accounts that Twitter had been verified as notable before Elon Musk's takeover unless they have subscribed to Twitter Blue or the business-focused Twitter Verified Organizations plan, Variety reported.
Initially, the blue tick served as a way of protecting well-known individuals from impersonation and tackling false information.
In March, Twitter posted from their official handle, "On April 1st, we will begin winding down our legacy verified program and removing legacy verified checkmarks. To keep your blue checkmark on Twitter, individuals can sign up for Twitter Blue."
Twitter first introduced the blue check mark system in 2009 to help users identify that celebrities, politicians, companies and brands, news organizations and other accounts "of public interest" were genuine and not impostors or parody accounts. The company didn't previously charge for verification.
Musk launched Twitter Blue with the check-mark badge as one of the premium perks within two weeks of the company's takeover last year.