(ThePatriotWire)- The controversial new owner of Twitter, Elon Musk, announced on Monday that he will soon “remove all legacy blue checks.”
He said all legacy blue checks would be eliminated in a few months, and how they were distributed was dishonest and absurd.
Musk wrote in response to a tweet pointing out the new explanatory note accompanying numerous blue check marks that had previously been verified.
“This is a legacy verified account,” was the caption of the screen capture in the tweet. “It might or might not be noteworthy.”
“Ruthless” was the Twitter user’s only comment on the image.
Musk unveiled Twitter blue, a new subscription service, last month to diversify the social media company’s cash-strapped revenue streams –
“Twitter Blue is an opt-in, paid subscription that adds a blue checkmark to your account and offers early access to select features, like Edit Tweet. Subscribe now on the web for $8/month or iOS for $11/month to get the blue checkmark and early access to features,” reads Twitter’s website boosting the new model.”
The platform’s paid-for verification has been criticized because, according to those who oppose it, it will make it harder for users to find reliable information because well-known people and reputable news organizations will either lack verification or display a similar blue checkmark to that of paying users.
Numerous verified users have publicly declared they will not pay for the check mark, including Fox News anchors Dana Perino and Kat Timpf, who called it “embarrassing” in early November.
According to the company, users of the new Twitter Blue will also eventually be able to post longer videos, see half as many ads, and have their tweets prioritized at the top of replies, mentions, and searches.
The relaunch of the new system was initially scheduled for the end of November, but Musk repeatedly postponed it due to worries about the feature’s safety.
As a means of leveling the playing field, the billionaire owner of Twitter has promoted the option to pay for verification. However, such a choice also poses a threat to the verification’s original goal: to let users know they could believe the information being shared by well-known people.
