Musk move to monetize Twitter's blue check riles celebrities

Twitter Inc.’s plan to remove legacy blue check marks for verified accounts heralds an end to a longtime social-media status symbol and is prompting complaints from some of the platform’s celebrity contributors concerned about potential impersonation.

- Alexa Corse

The departing system, in which Twitter verified notable accounts to confirm their authenticity by adding a blue check mark next to the user's name, will give way starting April 1 to one in which users must purchase a subscription to be verified, the company has said.

Twitter, which previously didn't charge for verification, is only providing it now to those who pay $8 to $11 for a monthly subscription, depending on whether it is paid via mobile or web browser.

The revamped subscription program, called Twitter Blue, offers other features including the ability to edit tweets. Elon Musk, who acquired Twitter late last year, said Monday that starting April 15, only verified accounts will be eligible to be promoted in Twitter's algorithmic recommendations. Such rules are necessary to combat spam bot accounts, he said. After criticism from many users, Mr. Musk announced a modification Tuesday, saying in a tweet that accounts users follow will also be shown in Twitter's algorithmic feed.

Though some found the previous verification system to be arbitrary and confusing, the process was designed to confirm that public figures' accounts were legitimate. Over time, the blue check mark evolved into a sought-after marker for many users. The check marks served as a way to combat impersonation and helped make Twitter an attractive communications platform for public personalities.

The new system, which Mr. Musk has said will be fairer than the departing system and is part of his efforts to increase Twitter's subscription revenue, is inviting a whole new category of complaints, especially from some high-profile accounts.

The "Seinfeld" actor Jason Alexander, who has roughly 732,000 followers on Twitter, said in a recent tweet that he will leave Twitter if he loses his check mark. "Without it, anyone can allege to be me," he said.