Even since Elon Musk acquired Twitter, the company has been through a lot of changes including its name which is now X. One of the biggest adjustments that a lot of users still don't agree with is the need for a subscription to get the coveted blue check. With the latest move from the company, we get a glimpse of the old Twitter.
Legacy Blue Checks are Back
If you've been on X (more known as Twitter) long enough, then you know that the blue check used to be a badge of recognition for users. You only ever get it if you're popular, an important member of a huge organization, or a big-shot entrepreneur among other things.
After Musk took over, he implemented a new verification system where users would have to pay $8 for X Premium, which comes with certain features that non-subscribers don't have access to. The subscription will also grant you an appropriate-colored checkmark beside your name.
According to Tech Crunch, X is taking a page out of the old Twitter and is giving blue checkmarks to users who have more than 2,500 "verified" followers, meaning users who were willing to pay $8 a month for their own verification badges.
Ever since verification can now be bought by anyone who has a few dollars to spend every month, the badge no longer holds the level of credit it did. With certain users not approving of the new system, they even perceive the mark negatively.
X user Katie Notopoulos said that it was "punishment for posting too much" when given a blue check. Other famous personalities clarified on X that their check marks were not paid for when it suddenly appeared on their accounts.
With the recent change, the social media platform's verification system could get some of its credibility back. Over 2,500 verified subscriber followers will grant a user the checkmark, and over 5,000 will get the Premium+ subscription for free, according to Elon Musk.
Why the Legacy Blue Check Mattered
For the longest time, influential people strived to become verified on social media platforms given that it adds weight to their fame and influence. Those who finally got them used to having small celebrations with fans or followers congratulating them.
It was also functional. The microblogging site has no shortage of posers or accounts impersonating important individuals. The legacy blue checkmark that only the company approved served as a credible indicator that people were who they claimed to be.
Of course, these are not the implemented changes that people did not like. Some of the new features and systems that the X owner put in place prompted others to leave the platform and opt for other microblogging sites like Mastodon or Threads.
The rebranding efforts got to the point that it even angered business partners of the company. This led to many big-name advertisers leaving X, which caused the social media platform a lot of trouble, given that ad sales were its main source of income.
