Twitter plans to wind down its legacy verified program and remove legacy verified checkmarks starting on April 1, 2023

The social network, which the mega-billionaire bought last year in a debt-heavy $44 billion deal, announced on Thursday that starting April 1, it will remove …

Variety 2023-03-24 Todd Spangler

Context & Ripple Effects

Twitter had already moved from a revocable, policy-based verification system toward a redesigned program with profile labels, while reporting indicated it was considering making existing badge holders subscribe to Twitter Blue. This announcement turns that possibility into a deadline-driven change.

The planned removal also foreshadows the later removal of legacy blue checkmarks and sits alongside a subsequent requirement that advertisers obtain verification or subscribe to keep advertising. Verification is therefore shifting from a public-interest account-authentication signal toward a platform access and subscription mechanism.

First-order effects

Legacy-verified accounts face loss of their existing checkmark unless they move into Twitter’s paid verification offering; Twitter replaces a grandfathered status with an ongoing commercial relationship.
Twitter gains a clear conversion lever for Twitter Blue by ending the legacy program rather than maintaining two verification regimes.

Second-order effects

Public figures, organizations, and users that relied on the old badge as a quick authenticity cue must distinguish paid status from identity or notability, reducing the badge’s continuity as a trust signal.
The change creates a foundation for tying commercial privileges to verification, as reflected in the later advertiser verification or subscription requirement; advertisers and account managers may face new account-access costs and decisions.

Third-order effects

If platforms increasingly bundle identity signals with subscriptions, verification can evolve from a centrally granted credential into a tiered product, making gatekeeping more contestable but less uniform.
The durable governance challenge is whether paid badges can still convey reliable identity information; platforms may need clearer labels or separate signals if user trust in a single checkmark weakens.

The trend: This is one step in the commercialization of platform trust and access features that were previously administered as public-facing governance tools.

Discussion

@lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org Lauren Weinstein on mastodon
@mmasnick I'll feel honored the day Elon takes away mine.
@film_girl@mastodon.social Christina Warren on mastodon
I cannot understand why a man who is literally nothing but ego cannot grep that ego and vanity via a verified badge are what your “famous” users use your platform and thus get others to use it. …
@film_girl@mastodon.social Christina Warren on mastodon
Meanwhile, over on Twitter, Elon is getting rid of legacy check marks, thus ruining the whole reason anyone would pay for Twitter Blue. And I'm expecting this to last 35 seconds until all the celebrities …
@caseynewton@mastodon.social Casey Newton on mastodon
Reminder that Twitter has no system for removing badges at scale and will basically just have to use the list of accounts followed by @verified and start removing them manually. Have fun gang
@verified @verified on x
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://twitter.com/... Organizations can sign up for https://twitter.com/...... ht…
@elonmusk Elon Musk on x
Any individual person's Twitter account affiliated with a verified organization is automatically verified https://twitter.com/...
@benedictevans Benedict Evans on x
For $1000/month, which very few will do. 🙄 https://twitter.com/...
@danprimack Dan Primack on x
The organization verification cost is $1k per month, which will difficult and/or prohibitive for certain small businesses, nonprofits and local government groups. https://twitter.com/...
@zaleskiluke Luke Zaleski on x
Elon's arc is filling up like the titanic https://twitter.com/...
@meakoopa Anthony Oliveira on x
timing the death of verification and the subsequent flood of fake accounts for April Fools Day lmao https://twitter.com/...
@jangles Neville Hobson on x
Somehow #AprilFoolsDay seems most appropriate for my #Twitter legacy byebye https://twitter.com/...
@chrismessina Chris Messina on x
So long my Verified Blue Check! Long have I known you! 👋🏻 🥲 Also, love that this is launching on April Fool's Day. https://twitter.com/...
@maxberger Max Berger on x
Twitter is going to get rid of verification on April Fools Day. I am sure that will not cause any problems! https://twitter.com/...
@mattyglesias Matthew Yglesias on x
My hope is that being de-verified will lead to my tweets getting less engagement and then I won't tweet so much. 🙏 https://twitter.com/...
@daviddoel David Doel on x
Twitter wants $1000/month for big sites to keep their checkmark 😂 As stated below, Twitter drives almost no engagement. My links to YouTube will get like 9 likes yet I'll have 100k views on that YouTube video. Twitter as a platform is largely self-contained. https://twitter.com/.…
@leftatlondon @leftatlondon on x
once i no longer have a legacy checkmark i will have nothing left to lose. i will start threatening people on here. i will commit cybercrimes. you dont want this. https://twitter.com/...
@gehrigdieter Gehrig Dieter on x
It was good while it lasted! 🤦🏼‍♂️ https://twitter.com/...
@petersterne Peter Sterne on x
If you're an organization and you want to keep your verification, you'll need to pay $1000 PER MONTH. I predict a lot of newsrooms will soon be un-verified. https://twitter.com/...
@wolfiesmom Valerie Bertinelli on x
He must be trying to make twitter obsolete. It's the only explanation. Every single decision he has made has put this app deeper in it's grave. https://twitter.com/...
@davidhogg111 David Hogg on x
I'm not doing it so be carful what you see “me” say there might be fake accounts saying false things impersonating me. https://twitter.com/...
@kevinmkruse Kevin M. Kruse on x
As of April 1st, only the fools will have checkmarks. https://twitter.com/...
@jessphoenix2018 @jessphoenix2018 on x
This is going to wreck what's left of this site's value as a communication platform. If we could just get the rich kids with new toys to stop tearing everything down because they didn't come up with it first, that would be terrific. https://twitter.com/...
@gaetaamy Amy Gaeta on x
Best argument for more twitter blue https://twitter.com/...
@golub @golub on x
All Russian bot farms too? https://twitter.com/...
@jacksfilms @jacksfilms on x
On April 1st, you are legally allowed to bully anyone left with a blue checkmark https://twitter.com/...
@aoc Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on x
Last time they tried this someone pretended to be Eli Lilly and tanked their stock price by pretending insulin was free https://twitter.com/...
@drewisgooden Drew Gooden on x
the only value of a twitter blue checkmark now is that people might mistake you for someone who is actually notable. if you get rid of every other checkmark, then the twitter blue checkmark literally means nothing. they're actually devaluing their own product by doing this. https…
@scottmonty Scott Monty on x
Well, it was nice while it lasted... https://twitter.com/...
@eve6 @eve6 on x
Humbly requesting that you remove ours immediately so people don't think we're a white nationalist with 30 followers https://twitter.com/...
@jonalba Jon Alba on x
Verification was once an important tool in fact-checking, sourcing, and validating information. It no longer matters. Won't be getting my money, not that he cares. The downfall of this platform just really, really sucks for people who used it for things other than shit-posting. h…
@mediaevan Evan DeSimone on x
At this point this is good news. Once they eliminate legacy checks the check mark will be a pretty clear indicator that someone shouldn't be taken seriously. Clarity is better than the current confusion. https://twitter.com/...
@zaackhunt @zaackhunt on x
Apparently Elon decided the best way for him to pay back those $42 billion in loans is to turnTwitter into his own personal GoFundMe https://twitter.com/...
@froomkin @froomkin on x
I wonder if every organization is going to start paying a grand to ⁦@elonmusk⁩ — or none. https://variety.com/...
@joshconstine @joshconstine on x
Truly unhinged. Twitter is removing actual Verified profiles' checkmarks but will still let anyone buy them... starting April Fool's Day. So blue checks go from “not a scammer” to “best way to trick people into scams”, and Twitter ruins this safeguard for the whole internet.
@tarahaelle Tara Haelle on x
Once this policy is in place, a blue check will no longer enable to tell you who is really who they claim to be, but it will helpfully indicate the chumps and suckers whose ego compels them to spend money to feel better about themselves. https://twitter.com/...
@thedanjurgens Dan Jurgens on x
Here's a betting idea, @elonmusk. Instead of people paying for verification, how about making them pay for anonymity? Much of what's wrong with social media originates with people hiding behind phony identities so... make them pay for the privilege. https://twitter.com/...
@muellershewrote @muellershewrote on x
So to keep my blue check, I have to pay a sad billionaire $11 a month? Welp, it's been a good run, blue check. It's not me. It's you. Don't let the door hitcha. https://twitter.com/...
@twitterblue @twitterblue on x
Twitter Blue is now available globally! Sign up today to get your blue checkmark, prioritized ranking in conversations, half ads, long Tweets, Bookmark Folders, custom navigation, Edit Tweet, Undo Tweet, and more. Sign up here: https://twitter.com/...
@elonmusk Elon Musk on x
Twitter Verified now available worldwide! https://twitter.com/...
@zaleskiluke Luke Zaleski on x
The amount of money and power and technology and control in Elon's hands alone is unprecedented in human history and the majority of Americans are sleeping on the possible consequences inherent to that consolidation of unchecked authority over so much capacity to impact the world…
@jt_mag_os Magdalena Osumi on x
Shouldn't Twitter be renamed as “Money talks?” https://twitter.com/...
@tweet @tweet on x
My reach (impressions/tweet views) went down hugely, immediately after my blue check appeared - from tens of thousands per tweet to single digit thousands. I'm not thrilled. https://twitter.com/...
@bluewaterdays @bluewaterdays on x
Is there a NO SHADOW BAN VERSION AVAILABLE? https://twitter.com/...

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