Twitter Restores Blue Verification Checkmarks for Large Accounts, Even Without Paid Subscription. Following Twitter’s removal of thousands of legacy verification checkmarks on April 20, the company is now restoring the blue tick marks for large accounts, including those of writer Neil Gaiman, footballer Riyad Maharez, musician Lil Nas X, actress Janel Parrish Long, and British TV presenter Richard Osman.
However, many of these accounts have said they did not pay for the blue badge, indicating that Twitter is extending the gift of subscription to a number of accounts.
The drama surrounding Elon Musk & co’s handling of legacy checkmarks has engulfed Twitter, with several large and notable accounts losing their verification mark, including accounts belonging to the Pope, Shakira, and Lady Gaga. In response, Musk said that he was “personally paying” for the subscription for a few accounts such as LeBron James, Stephen King, and William Shatner.
Twitter’s decision to restore blue verification checkmarks for large accounts is likely to prove controversial, given the company’s previous stance on the issue. Shortly after taking over the company, Musk launched paid verification, but the move backfired and the site was marred with fake celebrity and brand accounts. Twitter is also now asking brands to pay for verification to run ad campaigns on the platform, while showing a shortcut to sign up for verified organization services in the sidebar of all accounts.
It’s not clear whether Twitter is applying the same policy to personal accounts, but a programmer named Travis Brown analyzed accounts that have over 1 million followers and found that almost 110 of them don’t have Twitter verification at the moment. Actor Ryan Reynolds and Brazilian social media influencer Felipe Neto are among the most notable names without a verification mark currently.
