Twitter’s recent shift from legacy verified accounts to a subscription-based model has caused confusion and speculation among users. While some high-profile accounts lost their coveted blue ticks during the “blue tick purge,” others regained their verification badges despite not subscribing to the paid service. The question on many people’s minds is: is Elon Musk paying for these notable accounts?
The confusion began when Twitter CEO Elon Musk changed the platform’s policies and announced that blue checks would be available for $8 to those who subscribed to the service. Following the announcement, Twitter initiated the “blue tick purge,” removing verification badges from accounts that did not pay for the service.
The removal of blue ticks sparked a meme fest on Twitter, with many users poking fun at the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Pope Francis and Bill Gates for losing their legacy. However, some accounts, including those of politicians, celebrities, and journalists, regained their blue ticks despite not subscribing to the paid service. This led to speculation that Elon Musk may be paying for these notable accounts.
The Daily Beast reported that Musk restored the blue ticks of users with the highest follower counts after facing backlash for the subscription policy. This move fueled rumors that Musk was trolling users critical of the policy or had thrown in the white flag with regards to the subscription model.
Musk even offered to pay for the blue check of former US Secretary of Labour Robert Reich, who rejected the subscription-based model and denounced the “oligarchs who have too much power over the Internet.” Despite Musk’s offer, Reich’s account was not verified at the time of this writing.
Other notable individuals whose blue ticks have been restored include basketball player LeBron James, actor William Shatner, and author Stephen King. While King confirmed that his badge was restored despite not subscribing to the service, he advised Musk to donate his “blue check” as charity to the Ukrainian NGO Prytula Foundation. In response, Musk stated that he had already donated $100 million to Ukraine and asked King what he had done.
Despite the speculation, it is unclear whether Musk is actually paying for the blue checks of notable accounts on Twitter. Some individuals who have had their badges restored have expressed dissatisfaction with the subscription policy, while Musk has defended his actions and suggested that critics donate their blue checks to charity.
As the mystery continues, Twitter users can only speculate on whether Elon Musk is indeed paying for blue ticks or if there is another explanation for the reemergence of verification badges on notable accounts.
