As Twitter begins to remove its legacy verification badge, users are bidding farewell to it in an emotional way. This comes after the microblogging website announced its plans to discontinue the badge from April 1. The decision was met with severe criticism from users, particularly after Elon Musk's announcement that the blue checkmark would cost $8 per month ($11 for iOS and Android signups due to app store costs).
The verification badge was previously used to confirm the authenticity and "notability" of individuals and groups on the platform before Elon Musk took over. Now, netizens are expressing their sadness at the loss of their verified accounts by sharing sad memes on social media.
Musk defends paid blue tick
Elon Musk has defended his paid model for Twitter, stating that any social media platform that fails to adopt such a model will be overrun by bots. In a question and answer session on Twitter, Musk cited the ease of creating thousands of fake accounts with a single computer and modern AI as the reason for emphasizing the importance of the verified badge. The badge now requires a reputable phone carrier number and a credit card. Musk predicted that social media networks that don't follow this model will fail. The change in Twitter's verification system puts pressure on companies, journalists, and celebrities who use the platform for communication and rely on the blue tick for credibility. However, it also raises concerns about imposters and pranksters obtaining verified accounts by paying, making their accounts totally fake.