Twitter has officially removed all verified legacy checkmarks. Meaning that anyone who received a blue checkmark for being notable in the public eye - such as celebrities, public figures, journalists, influencers, and others - no longer has a special designation on the platform.
Previously, Twitter announced that all legacy verify accounts would be removed tomorrow, April 20. To receive a checkmark, users have to subscribe to Twitter Blue. Twitter Blue costs $8 per month and does not verify someone's identity, but does provide a checkmark next to their name and a handful of other features, such as editing Tweets.
Tomorrow, 4/20, we are removing legacy verified checkmarks. To remain verified on Twitter, individuals can sign up for Twitter Blue here: https://t.co/gzpCcwOXAX
— Twitter Verified (@verified) April 19, 2023
Organizations can sign up for Verified Organizations here: https://t.co/YtPVNYypHU
Even though legacy verified accounts have lost their checkmarks, some companies and organizations now have a gold checkmark with a square profile picture to indicate them as official. Government officials now have a grey checkmark next to their names, and government organizations have a square profile picture and a grey checkmark by their name.
It's also worth mentioning that some legacy verified checkmarks may have been turned into Twitter Blue checkmarks. Stephen King, the author behind books such as It, Carrie, and The Shining, tweeted that his account says he subscribes to Twitter Blue and has given them his phone number, but he claims that hasn't done either.
My Twitter account says I’ve subscribed to Twitter Blue. I haven’t.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) April 20, 2023
My Twitter account says I’ve given a phone number. I haven’t.
Now that legacy checkmarks have been removed, and it's now easier than ever for someone to impersonate notable figures such as celebrities, journalists, or even leaders if they subscribe to Twitter Blue. This is something that we've seen before.
As reported late last year, a handful of accounts started impersonating people such as Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and even Nintendo. This caused Twitter to suspend all accounts engaging in this behavior and temporarily suspend Twitter Blue.
For more tech-related news, be sure to check out our story details on Google's first foldable smartphone leaked and how AI is being used to create the ultimate choose your own adventure game.
