Twitter has announced that as from April 1, it will soon remove the legacy verified checkmarks from previously verified accounts.
This move is coming in the wake of the global expansion of Twitter Blue, the platform’s subscription service. The company’s intention to retire the legacy checkmarks has been known since November 2022, when CEO Elon Musk stated that there were “far too many corrupt legacy Blue ‘verification’ checkmarks.”
With the date fast approaching, legacy verified users are about to lose their blue ticks, but the exact nature of the removal process remains unclear.
Twitter To Remove Legacy Verified Checkmarks Next Month
The impending removal of legacy verified checkmarks has generated mixed reactions, with some questioning whether it might be an elaborate April Fools’ joke orchestrated by the ever-whimsical Elon Musk.
The company has not clarified if the removal will happen all at once or in phases, and reaching out for further information has so far been met with playful non-answers.
On April 1st, we will begin winding down our legacy verified program and removing legacy verified checkmarks. To keep your blue checkmark on Twitter, individuals can sign up for Twitter Blue here: https://t.co/gzpCcwOpLp
Organizations can sign up for https://t.co/RlN5BbuGA3…
— Twitter Verified (@verified) March 23, 2023
The announcement coincides with the worldwide availability of Twitter Blue subscriptions, which were initially limited to specific regions. With the expansion of the service, users around the globe can now enjoy features such as a blue tick next to their username, 4,000-character tweet limits, post-editing capabilities, and higher reply rankings.
The global rollout is a crucial step towards Musk’s goal of generating half of Twitter’s revenue from subscriptions. However, the platform’s success in achieving this target will depend on users’ willingness to pay the subscription fee of $8 per month (or $11 if purchased through the iOS app) for these additional features.
As Twitter prepares to wind down its legacy verified program, the fate of the blue checkmarks hangs in the balance. The shift towards paid verification through the Twitter Blue subscription service marks a significant change in the platform’s approach to account verification.
While many questions remain unanswered, the global expansion of Twitter Blue sets the stage for a new era in the platform’s history, as it seeks to diversify its revenue streams and provide added value to its users.
