April 1st is the dumbest day on the internet. This year, brands aren’t just trying to play tricks by selling “hot iced coffee.” Starting Saturday, Twitter will begin removing blue checks for “legacy authenticated” users who have not signed up for a Twitter Blue subscription. It’s part of new owner Elon Musk’s grand plan to make his Twitter profitable, but there are obvious problems with this particular scheme. , but Musk doesn’t seem too concerned about that).
Twitter first launched a verification system in 2009 to protect celebrities from impersonation. Someone created an account impersonating former St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Lusa, and in addition to demanding the account be taken down, La Lusa sued his Twitter.And 3 year old company introduced Its iconic blue check badge.
Now we have come full circle. With the day that celebrities lose their verification badges approaching him one day away, you might think he would mourn the loss of this symbol that was literally created to protect us. Unfortunately for Musk, paying for Twitter Blue is so expensive that some celebrities have said they won’t pay Blue’s check.
Earlier in the month, musician Ice Spice said:
What she means is that people will know who she is because the fraudulent account couldn’t compete with her 1.2 million followers. She has a point, but we know people don’t always click on your profile when they’re not sure you’re real.
In the chaotic first few days of Twitter’s new verification program — when anyone could instantly receive blue checks, change handles, and impersonate anyone else — basketball superstar LeBron James was impersonated. was one of the first celebrities to receive In an account confirmed on Twitter Blue, someone impersonated James and posted that he was requesting a trade from Los Angeles to his Lakers to Cleveland to his Cavaliers. This wasn’t true, but the news spread anyway.
James still doesn’t want to pay for the blue check, he said on Twitter.
James is the highest-paid NBA player of all time, earning over $40 million a year. It makes it all the more hilarious that he doesn’t pay.
For some celebrities, it’s not $8. Actor William Shatner tweeted to Musk, “Are you saying he has to pay for what he gives you for free?”
But also, we all know how not cool they look if they pay for verification. Don’t want a shabby blue check 😂,” best summed it up.
This year’s Super Bowl MVP, Patrick Mahomes II, is also a very high-paid athlete who joked that he can’t pay $8 because he has kids to look after.
Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay made a great point (and he’s on the best team in the NFL. Don’t check the facts, this is true). If someone impersonates him, an enraged Philadelphia fan could accidentally tweet a complaint to the wrong person.
Other stars have taken the time to tell their followers that they’re who they say they are, even if they’ve lost their checks.Monica Lewinsky reveals what happens when you search her name on Twitter I’ve posted a series of screenshots showing how. There are already many impersonators out there, some with paid blue checks.
she Added“In what universe is this fair to those who may suffer the consequences of impersonation? The lie travels half the world before the truth comes out.”
“Seinfeld” actor Jason Alexander said he would leave the platform entirely if he lost his check because he was worried about impersonation.
New Order bassist Peter Hook also participated. The 67-year-old British man enthusiastically reminded his followers that he never sold anything to his fans in his DMs.
Impersonation is clearly the number one concern among celebrities (…and journalists), but Twitter Blue has benefits beyond blue checks. According to Musk, only tweets from verified users will appear in the “For You” feed. Still, I don’t think LeBron is too worried about his tweets getting noticed. This guy has 52 million followers.
