Popular social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has changed its policies once again. The Elon Musk-owned platform is offering premium features to some of its popular users for free and bringing back the blue verification tick mark feature.
Earlier, Twitter used to verify the profiles of famous users with a blue tick for free. These individuals included various politicians, journalists, athletes, celebrities, and influencers all over the world. However, a few months after Twitter’s acquisition by Musk in October 2022, the company turned blue ticks into a premium feature. This update made it necessary for everyone to pay $8 to get verification on X.
Also Read – Elon Musk Open Sources xAI’s Grok Chatbot For Developers
Interestingly, the removal of blue ticks from prominent profiles created a so-called sigma regarding verified accounts. It implied that some people would even pay extra dollars just to maintain their fake reputation on the internet. People started to consider this feature absurd, as it allowed anyone to become a verified user.
The billionaire and owner of X shared this last week regarding this new policy. Musk wrote,
Going forward, all 𝕏 accounts with over 2500 verified subscriber followers will get Premium features for free and accounts with over 5000 will get Premium+ for free
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 28, 2024
People’s displeasure at the blue tick mark shows how drastically Musk has changed users’ perceptions regarding the feature, which was once considered a privilege. By introducing the $8 monthly subscription, Musk brought back ‘power to the people.’ However, it did not work out as the billionaire expected. Many spam and unethical accounts received verification overnight because of the paid plan.
Meanwhile, a feature introduced last year enabled users to hide their blue ticks. Not only this, but the premium subscription also allowed users to monetize their content and boost the reach of their accounts without informing anyone.
