Discussion

• @jsrailton@mastodon.social John Scott-Railton on mastodon

  I can practically feel the coming uptick in #Twitter scamming.

• @brendannyhan@mastodon.social Brendan Nyhan on mastodon

  The real blue checks were the friends we made along the way

• @thedextriarchy@mastodon.social Adi Robertson on mastodon

  I really can't tell if Stephen King and LeBron James being (apparently) falsely listed as paying for Twitter Blue is:  — a technical mistake  — a “let's quietly give famous people free blue checks” policy …

• @chrismessina@mastodon.xyz Chris Messina on mastodon

  Scenes in trustworthy computing, 2023 edition.

• @fxshaw@mastodon.social Frank X. Shaw on mastodon

  naked to the world.

• @rodhilton@mastodon.social Rod Hilton on mastodon

  Today is the day all the celebs have lost their legacy checkmarks over on Twitter, and right now the whole site is just Elonfans screenshotting celebs trying to call them out for being too cheap to pay $8, like it's a question of funding and not one of value.

• @dcseifert@mastodon.social Dan Seifert on mastodon

  the blue check on my twitter account (which has been dormant for six months at least) finally disappeared today

• @stephenking Stephen King on x

  My Twitter account says I've subscribed to Twitter Blue. I haven't. My Twitter account says I've given a phone number. I haven't.

• @alexeheath Alex Heath on x

  NEW: Have confirmed that LeBron, who has 52 million followers and has said he won't pay for verification, was emailed by a Twitter employee with the offer to have his sub comped “on behalf of Elon Musk.” James did not accept but his account is showing that he paid anyway.

• @jonathanmayer Jonathan Mayer on x

  Since today is the blue check apocalypse, here's a new research paper on Twitter's paid account “verification.” What we learned: 1) Most people don't understand what blue checks now mean. 2) Paid accounts are disproportionately crypto bros, Elon stans, new, and conservative. http…

• @jsrailton John Scott-Railton on x

  I can practically *feel* the coming uptick in scamming. https://twitter.com/...

• @elmo @elmo on x

  Elmo will miss you, little blue check mark. But don't worry everybody, Elmo is still Elmo! ❤️

• @mattbinder Matt Binder on x

  paid bluechecks with 10 followers running celebrities off the platform for simply choosing not to pay. the business genius strikes again. https://twitter.com/...

• @uscpsc @uscpsc on x

  Fly now, blue check. You're free 🦋 https://twitter.com/...

• @halleberry Halle Berry on x

  Me joining you all tomorrow unverified 🥰 https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @timjhogan Tim Hogan on x

  they really took his check https://twitter.com/...

• @halleberry Halle Berry on x

  😂😂 https://twitter.com/...

• @finallevel Ice T on x

  The fact that we're even discussing Blue Check marks is a Sad moment in society. Smh lol.

• @masonmount Mason Mount on x

  Over the years I've thoroughly enjoyed connecting with you all on Twitter. Sadly, the platform is changing so I have decided to delete my account. You all can still connect with me on my other social media platforms here: https://masonmount.komi.io/ Take care, Mason ✌🏻

• @johnbiggs John Biggs on x

  Twitter advertisers are now solely scammers. Excellent. https://twitter.com/...

• @mrseanhaines @mrseanhaines on x

  RIP “China state-affiliated media” tags~ https://twitter.com/...

• @ciara @ciara on x

  Blue check or no check... I know my fans still checkin. ❤️

• @scotusblog @scotusblog on x

  Bye, Twitter. 🥺 The tipping point was having to pay for verification, when we feel we add a lot of value. We also feel solidarity with NPR, and share concerns about Twitter's direction. You can find us on the blog and TikTok. If we join another platform, we'll send word here. 🫡

• @billbrasky2620 Bill Brasky on x

  The Pope doesn't even get to keep his blue check mark? That's cold!!!! https://twitter.com/...

• @eladnehorai Elad Nehorai on x

  Verified account Unverified account https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @harddrivemag @harddrivemag on x

  me? uhh i actually never knew that verification mark... https://twitter.com/...

• @josephmenn Joseph Menn on x

  Goodbye, state-affiliated media labels. https://twitter.com/...

• @mkbhd Marques Brownlee on x

  I understand that I will now be judged for the blue check, but I need to accept that because I still need the edit button https://twitter.com/...

• @alexeheath Alex Heath on x

  As Elon nukes legacy checkmarks today, Twitter is saying some celebs, including @KingJames, are paying for verification even though they aren't https://www.theverge.com/...

• @dicebourbon Bryce Durbin on x

  https://twitter.com/...

• @keyawnce3 @keyawnce3 on x

  Beyoncé not playing for a blue check mark is HILARIOUS https://twitter.com/...

• @theregister @theregister on x

  Elon's rocket exploded so hard, it blew everyone's blue ticks off

• @shayan86 Shayan Sardarizadeh on x

  Twitter looks... different. https://twitter.com/...

• @oliverdarcy Oliver Darcy on x

  Verification is officially dead on Twitter as Musk introduces more chaos onto the platform.

• @mer__edith Meredith Whittaker on x

  Never had a blue check/most popular girl in the general admission line outside the club

• @goldman Jason Goldman on x

  It is funny the language around verification has changed so that verified = “paid for Blue and verified their phone number” which obvs isn't identity verification at all. It means you have $8 and a phone. https://twitter.com/...

• @superpixels Victor Agreda Jr on x

  the circle is complete, let the age of the ever-felching butthole reign https://twitter.com/...

• @k8em0 @k8em0 on x

  So long blue check. It was nice to have the ability to defend myself from harassment via impersonation. But who cares about Internet safety & verified authenticity. Buying a blue badge won't stop impersonation since anyone can do it. https://twitter.com/...

• @spenolpalinusa @spenolpalinusa on x

  So Musk quietly removed the “Russia state-affiliated media” label from all the Russian propaganda accounts. I suspected he would do that at some point, and it became pretty clear when he labeled CBC “69% government-funded.” The whole point was to turn the label into a joke. https…

• @danprimack Dan Primack on x

  Losing my blue checkmark doesn't negatively impact me, except that other people losing their blue checkmarks makes Twitter less useful for me.

• @paulg Paul Graham on x

  Deleting the original blue checks makes it easy for the first time to see what proportion of users pay for them. Of the 723 accounts I follow, 136 have paid, 28 are either verified organizations or associated with one, and 559 have neither.

• @doctorow @doctorow on x

  If you're angry that I gave a giant asshole $8 so I could get an “edit tweet” button, holy shit are you going to be furious when you find out where the fossil fuels that heat my house come from. Shopping your way out of monopoly capitalism is a fool's errand. You are not an... ht…

• @atrupar Aaron Rupar on x

  SCOOP: Elon Musk is no longer removing legacy blue checks, but instead will require all users to post at least one tweet a week discussing a quality of his they admire in order to maintain active accounts on the platform.

• @plasticmartyr @plasticmartyr on x

  The #BlueCheckMark is gone which means now it's easier to identify the trolls & maga lunatics. No sane person would pay for Twitter blue & give $$ to a greedy billionaire. The verified badge is now the new red MAGA hat. Boycott Twitter Blue Legacy forever 🖕 https://twitter.com/..…

• @benstiller Ben Stiller on x

  No blue check, still feel like me.

• @mattbinder Matt Binder on x

  actually, looks like when removing legacy verified blue checkmarks...Twitter accidentally removed *all* state-affiliated, government-funded, & public-funded media tags on every account not just RT...NPR, PBS, BBC, CBC...none of them have it anymore lol https://twitter.com/... htt…

• @atrupar Aaron Rupar on x

  things are going great https://twitter.com/...

• @ow @ow on x

  lol everyone lost their ticks but mine is still here because i “pay for blue” even tho i have never done such a thing!!! ...please, i'd pay to delete this shame https://twitter.com/...

• @tomcoates Tom Coates on x

  Even your verified section of your notifications still works like before. At least for now. What a half-assed job. If he was smart, he'll just be hiding the mark because when it's revealed to be a massive fuck up he'd then be able to reverse the decision. Don't hold your breath

• @teroterotero Tero Kuittinen on x

  The new blue checks don't comprehend that the emblem is doing a speed run of what happened to “Britney” as a baby name. It was a sophisticated, high end name in 1980 - and it got a trailer park connotation when low income families started embracing it. https://twitter.com/...

• @danprimack Dan Primack on x

  Tweeted that @Tesla doesn't have a checkmark. Apparently it has a gold one. But they are no longer appearing on Tweetdeck because... well just because.

• @zhang_heqing Zhang Heqing on x

  Indeed. Good news such as State-affiliated media and Twitter Blue are all gone. https://twitter.com/...

• @tmz @tmz on x

  It's a dark time on Twitter, as some of the biggest celebs are gettin' stripped of their precious blue checkmarks ... but despite Elon Musk ditching the legacy verifications, there are still some big names handing the bird its monthly fee to keep it going. https://www.tmz.com/...

• @sukiwaterhouse Suki Waterhouse on x

  https://twitter.com/...

• @jamestitcomb James Titcomb on x

  Is Tim Cook is paying the full $11/month for Twitter Blue or going through the web to avoid the $3 in App Store fees? https://twitter.com/...

• @natalieegenolf Natalie Egenolf on x

  What a time to be alive. https://twitter.com/...

• @euan_macdonald Euan MacDonald on x

  It's obvious removing the verified user feature will allow disinformation to spread more easily. It's unlikely Musk doesn't understand this - I don't think he's stupid, this has to be his intention. Looking forward to what Fake Pope has to say, however. https://www.bbc.com/...

• @refsrc Manish Singh on x

  Twitter founders are not buying Blue either. https://twitter.com/...

• @bromojumbo @bromojumbo on x

  Losing money, cried about being bullied on here, rocket exploded, AND he's become a paypig to celebs who don't want to pay for twitter blue. It can't get any funnier than this (it will). https://twitter.com/...

• @zsk Zoe Kleinman on x

  Looks like the verification blue ticks have all gone now. I am not a Twitter Blue subscriber so you are just going to have to take my word for it that I am who I say I am. It's worked so far!

• @bbcworld @bbcworld on x

  Beyonce and the Pope among those to lose Twitter blue check in purge https://www.bbc.com/...

• @willoremus Will Oremus on x

  Say what you will about Elon, he's always thinking a step ahead. For instance, he made sure to jack up the price of the Twitter API before turning the blue check into a mark of shame, so now no one can easily build a tool that lets you autoblock all the Twitter Blue subscribers.

• @elonmusk Elon Musk on x

  Such a great day in so many ways

• @eve6 @eve6 on x

  Ok it's official if someone has a blue check now they're likely a white nationalist with 30 followers and if they don't they're a journalist or halle berry or something

• @sorayadarabi Soraya Darabi on x

  Lost my blue check mark after being the first woman on the suggested user list and honestly don't care at all.

• @fmanjoo Farhad Manjoo on x

  Damn check out the elitist bluechecks, the woke mind virus cannot be stopped https://twitter.com/...

• @thor_benson Thor Benson on x

  It's gonna be fun constantly checking usernames and follower counts when there's breaking news and you need to make sure the person tweeting it is legit

• @arictoler Aric Toler on x

  Assuming Elon doesn't backtrack tomorrow on this verified thing, this will be the final ever legacy-verified tweet: https://twitter.com/...

• @rvawonk Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D on x

  The only implication of the blue checkmark issue that matters is that it will contribute immensely to online deception. That's literally the only thing anyone should be talking about, yet it's not at all what anyone is talking about. Egos are amazing things.

• @ashleyfeinberg Ashley Feinberg on x

  these people are fascinating—just debilitatingly painful to observe, absolutely incredible https://twitter.com/...

• @saeeddicaprio @saeeddicaprio on x

  bro's rocket failed and he's taking it out on us https://twitter.com/...

• @benfrubinstein @benfrubinstein on x

  Twitter has removed state affiliated labels from employees of RT https://twitter.com/...

• @vladsavov Vlad Savov on x

  - Why should I join your social network? - It's not enriching one of the richest men in the world by charging you for basic functionality. - I'm intrigued. Tell me more.

• @danrather Dan Rather on x

  Today proves yet again that you can't buy class but you can buy a blue check mark.

• @howelloneill Patrick Howell O'Neill on x

  I love the people whose blue checks are accidentally still on their profiles for whatever snafu reason and are therefore desperately trying to explain/plea that they didn't pay for it

• @hmfaigen Harrison Faigen on x

  “We contacted James' media advisor, Adam Mendelsohn, who confirmed that James hasn't paid the $8 monthly fee.” https://www.theverge.com/...

• @_cingraham Christopher Ingraham🦗 on x

  huh that's weird https://twitter.com/...

• @tomcoates Tom Coates on x

  I *knew* this would be how he'd do it. Just hide the badge. So you can still filter for actual verified people if you want to. https://twitter.com/...

• @kashprime Kashif Pirzada on x

  Government organizations may have no choice but to move off Twitter at this point. https://twitter.com/...

• @nmsonline Nick Stylianou on x

  Anyone with a blue tick on Twitter from now on is paying upwards of £114 a year to use this free website and app.

• @mattrosoff Matt Rosoff on x

  Say whatever you want about Elon Musk, if his actions on this site can get more of us to spend less time on this site and more time doing real activities in the physical world, that's a net-good.

• @rnaudbertrand Arnaud Bertrand on x

  Interestingly all the “China-state affiliated media” tags seem to have disappeared from Twitter alongside the legacy blue badges. https://twitter.com/...

• @phillipspobrien Phillips P. OBrien on x

  Not sure Musk has thought this through https://twitter.com/...

• @golikehellmachi @golikehellmachi on x

  incredible business strategy, getting some of the most well-known people on earth to publicly state that they're not paying for your product and that you're lying when you tell people they are https://twitter.com/...

• @carolinebano Caroline Baniewicz on x

  Even Elmo is like fuck this shit I'm not paying https://twitter.com/...

• @brandyzadrozny Brandy Zadrozny on x

  And I'm starless! But for real, this website let me connect with reporters and friends and sources and an audience and reliable information during breaking news. I'm grateful for it. I'm hopeful that someone will make the next thing that does that. https://twitter.com/...

• @saeeddicaprio @saeeddicaprio on x

  all because the rocket didn't pay for twitter blue :( https://twitter.com/...

• @astridwilde1 @astridwilde1 on x

  all “state affiliated media” tags on the site were removed today 🧐 e.g. @CBCNews @BBCNews @RT_com @chenweihua

• @nikitabier Nikita Bier on x

  In a strange twist of irony, the people without checkmarks are the real checkmarks now.

• @digiphile Alex Howard on x

  While I'm not surprised that Donald Trump didn't pay @elonmusk to be @verified as a @TwitterBlue subscriber, I am surprised that @Twitter chose to unverifying @realDonaldTrump instead of giving him a grey check, as it has many personal/campaign accounts of Members of Congress. ht…

• @internethippo Mr. Bedtime on x

  Every beef gets settled today https://twitter.com/...

• @teroterotero Tero Kuittinen on x

  The logical outcome is that nobody even semi famous now wants to pay for a blue check because it would expose them for the type of people who pay for a blue check. https://twitter.com/...

• @kendrickperkins Kendrick Perkins on x

  They took my Blue Check?!!! They can keep that MF because I refuse to pay to be famous!!! Carry the hell on...

• @tomwarren Tom Warren on x

  all legacy blue tick Twitter users are also about to experience a rapid unscheduled disassembly 🙃

• @leokelion Leo Kelion on x

  So from now on a blue tick signifies someone who is paying to get more attention (among other benefits). It will be interesting to see if that generates LESS engagement from others as a result of a cringe effect.

• @oneunderscore__ Ben Collins on x

  Now the checks really are block on command. Sorry to anybody who experimented with it, you are the baby and this is the bathwater.

• @eve6 @eve6 on x

  Hey @catturd2 I'm no longer verified and my engagement is through the roof you should have someone look into this

• @teroterotero Tero Kuittinen on x

  Didn't expect USCPSC to go this hard but here we are https://twitter.com/...

• @kurtwagner8 Kurt Wagner on x

  Weird to see the celebs without the blue check https://twitter.com/...

• @tnkgrl Myriam Joire on x

  I'll just leave this here for the memories and the LOLs! Yes I used to be #legacyverified... No, I'm not paying for the stupid #bluecheckmark :) https://twitter.com/...

• @matthew_d_green Matthew Green on x

  For the record, I got my check from Mudge during a period when scammers were doing crazy impersonations of everyone, including (weirdly) professors like me. It wasn't there to establish how cool I am (although I am cool!) but to protect people from getting scammed.

• @mattgertz Matthew Gertz on x

  Suckers, I was the congressman this entire time!

• @ashleyfeinberg Ashley Feinberg on x

  having an absolute blast seeing who paid for the checks

• @evanhill Evan Hill on x

  in one fell swoop a blue check went from generally meaning a verified celeb, brand, CEO, politician, journalist, academic etc. to almost exclusively crypto/AI/ponzi/attention economy scammers

• @jamieeast Barack Obama on x

  Hi it's me, former president of the United States Barak 08ama. Please send me money

• @jperlow @jperlow on x

  A surprising number of people I follow and some I know personally paid for this damn thing. Yuck.

• @waltmossberg Walt Mossberg on x

  Farewell, genuine blue checkmark next to my genuine profile. And remember: in a system where people pay for an indicator of identity, you can't trust that it means anything. I would be happy to subscribe to Twitter for extra features, as long as it *didn't* sell checkmarks.

• @johnbiggs John Biggs on x

  Goodbye, blue checkmark Though I don't really give a fuck You were a useful tool to prove to folks That I wasn't just some schmuck And it seems to me that Elon Musk It's making Twitter even worse Never knowing who to placate from the alt-rightiverse

• @digiphile Alex Howard on x

  That was fast: @twitter unverified the @USCPSC. Ridiculous, & embarrassing. (Also, hilarious: give this staffer a raise.) Every US government agency should be @verified through @Digital_Gov https://open.gsa.gov/... & have a label in April 2023. Unverifying US gov't is unwise. htt…

• @jamiewiikinson Jamie Wilkinson on x

  The blue tick. Lived it, loved it, but you can fuck right off if you think I'm paying for it.

• @shaneharris Shane Harris on x

  Unchecked and balanced.

• @rsgnl Joe Rossignol on x

  Twitter is a shit show now and not worth paying for in my opinion. I'm still here because I think it remains the best way to reach the most people and access the most information, but I'm tired of all the “HAHA 69% 420 YOLO!” decision making.

• @cwarzel Charlie Warzel on x

  buzzfeed news shuttering the day twitter gets rid of the checks is some very real ‘the long 2010s ended today’ shit

• @panzer @panzer on x

  Ex post checko

• @rdrv3 David Ruddock on x

  I will verify your Twitter profile if you send me $20 on Cash app and have a 15 second zoom in which I make you answer one inane and utterly unpredictable question with your face fully visible. For this, I will send you an individually numbered postcard. In the mail.

• @mattnavarra Matt Navarra on x

  the new Twitter verification label https://twitter.com/...

• @dogfather Matt on x

  the dog lost their blue check i have no idea if these thoughts are coming from a real dog or not https://twitter.com/...

• @edzitron Ed Zitron on x

  It is really funny that Elon Musk managed to destroy the value of the checkmark specifically so he could sell it. It now means absolutely nothing. It doesn't verify anything. It isn't notable. I'm honestly impressed he worked out how to delete the legacy ones too

• @edzitron Ed Zitron on x

  The Blue Checkmark is now The Dunce's Brand

• @arictoler Aric Toler on x

  Sort of true — Twitter has verified status built into tweets themselves, so when you search for legacy verified tweets, you only see old ones. (Congrats to @nmsonline for the final ever legacy verified tweet) https://twitter.com/search https://twitter.com/...

• @fredericl Frederic Lardinois on x

  The nice thing about losing the blue check is that I can now quickly unfollow anyone who paid.

• @willoremus Will Oremus on x

  If you love your blue check, let it go. If it returns it's yours; if it doesn't, it never was

• @jamesrbuk James Ball on x

  New @journalismfest party game: breaking the news to journalists that they've lost their blue tick. #ijf2023

• @kalhanr Kalhan on x

  the evil has finally been defeated https://twitter.com/...

• @yoda Drew Olanoff on x

  congrats for finally figuring out how to do the checkmark thing team “@twitter”. https://twitter.com/...

• @jonathanchait Jonathan Chait on x

  Now is the time to establish a rival bluecheck Pope at Avignon! It's just $8 a month, plus the cost of a small palace https://twitter.com/...

• @sherman4949 Alex Sherman on x

  The “Verified” mentions tab is still up for those who are nostalgic. “Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road...”

• @shiringhaffary Shirin Ghaffary on x

  after months of delay, i'm kind of on disbelief the Great Blue Checkmark removal is actually happening

• @willoremus Will Oremus on x

  [to the tune of bye bye blackbird] bye bye blue check

• @sjvn Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols on x

  Oh no! Oh, woe! I no longer have a Blue Checkmark! Whatever will I do!? Keep on keeping on.

• @inafried Ina Fried on x

  No blue check? Check. https://twitter.com/...

• @scottnover Scott Nover on x

  I'm a man of the people now.

• @kattenbarge Kat Tenbarge on x

  It's a post-check world out here https://twitter.com/...

• @adamsinger Adam Singer on x

  Will taking financial advise from people with blue checkmarks make you lose money? Yes Will taking advice from people without blue checkmarks make you lose money? Also yes

• @pbump Philip Bump on x

  So tired of the blue-check elites constantly hyping crypto, stanning Elon Musk and posting boomer memes.

• @lorakolodny Lora Kolodny on x

  lol my bluecheck disappeared but my background photo did too? https://twitter.com/...

• @wongmjane Jane Manchun Wong on x

  I would like to reiterate that I subscribed to Twitter Blue for testing purposes just so I can document features that are paywalled And I'll no longer do so when I move on from digging features for good.

• @schillingc Chris Schilling on x

  Yes, it's true. This man has no tick. https://twitter.com/...

• @joannastern Joanna Stern on x

  Today is the day. The day you all find out I pay for Twitter Blue. Please don't @ me.

• @jbrodkin @jbrodkin on x

  I'm unverified now but I still like to think that I may or may not be notable

• @film_girl Christina Warren on x

  The legacy blue checks are starting to get deactivated! Wow. Didn't think he'd do it but here we are!

• @taylorlorenz Taylor Lorenz on x

  We're free bitch!!!!!!!! https://twitter.com/...

• @strngwys @strngwys on x

  oh, it's gone. FINALLY. Now I can tell you, Roberto Baldwin was eaten by an alligator 8 years ago. I'm just a dude that found his name and password on a piece of discarded candy wrapper near the incident. But now, I am finally free.

• @strngwys @strngwys on x

  now the blue check flashes. So that's cool https://twitter.com/...

• @isaach Isaac Hepworth on x

  https://twitter.com/...

• @rustybrick Barry Schwartz on x

  it does that weird flash on and off on refresh https://twitter.com/...

• @kurtwagner8 Kurt Wagner on x

  goodnight sweet prince. I will miss you. https://twitter.com/...

• @tomwarren Tom Warren on x

  no more blue tick 🫡 https://twitter.com/...

• @sifill_ Sherrilyn Ifill on x

  Tweet of the year! #BossLady https://twitter.com/...

• @thedextriarchy@mastodon.social Adi Robertson on mastodon

  let's all just be clear the verification system was a bizarre mess before elon took over, which unfortunately makes his insistence on turning it into a star-bellied sneetch clout war even more dysfunctional

• @thedextriarchy@mastodon.social Adi Robertson on mastodon

  okay so apparently elon musk is personally bestowing blue checkmarks on his favored famous people, a system that i definitely associate with the true spirit of egalitarian democracy

• @elonmusk Elon Musk on x

  @TitterDaily I'm paying for a few personally

• @elonmusk Elon Musk on x

  @PopBase Just Shatner, LeBron and King

• @edzitron Ed Zitron on x

  New genre of post: twitter blue subscribers complaining that they aren't famous enough to get verified for free https://twitter.com/...

• @elonmusk Elon Musk on x

  @StephenKing @amayamario You're welcome namaste 🙏

• @pixelatedboat @pixelatedboat on x

  Elon bargained him down to Elon paying $8 https://twitter.com/...

• @alexeheath Alex Heath on x

  Here is Musk responding to our story and confirming that he is paying for some accounts to be verified https://twitter.com/...

• @nikkimcr Nikki Mccann Ramírez on x

  “the great leveler” https://twitter.com/...

• @sifill_ Sherrilyn Ifill on x

  Dropping 8s on a few special homies. Dude is so embarrassing. https://twitter.com/...

• @dkthomp Derek Thompson on x

  Weeks after the Twitter Files asked us to be enraged by Twitter capriciously boosting/thwarting certain content, Musk has anointed himself the bouncer of Twitter, capriciously boosting celebrities he likes without explanation. https://twitter.com/...

• @michael_muscato Michael Muscato on x

  🤣🤣🤣 dude is just a scammer through and through https://twitter.com/...

• @wbm312 Whitney Merrill on x

  Is this deceptive advertising for Twitter Blue if Twitter does not disclosing that the check was comped and provided to the person without their consent, making it look like they wanted and paid for Twitter Blue? https://twitter.com/...

• @jhall Jim Hall on x

  Hi @elonmusk I'd like to offer to support Mr King when you're ready to let him go check-less again. Im a big fan of his. 😇 Maybe set up a “save a celeb” Tab & everybody can pick somebody they'd like to sponsor? Maybe micropayments could even be made (for the less popular celebs).…

• @elienyc Elie Mystal on x

  I mean, if this is true, this is textbook false advertising and appropriation of likeness and @KingJames (whose lawyers I'm sure deal with that kind of misappropriation all the time) should sue. https://twitter.com/...

• @nagaslatettv @nagaslatettv on x

  The entire reason Musk was throwing a tantrum about the previous verified system was that “the system was arbitrary and showed favoritism” and now he is arbitrarily giving celebs he wants the attention of free check marks. You can't make this shit up lmfao https://twitter.com/...

• @elon_alerts @elon_alerts on x

  Elon Musk liked a tweet from Jim Hall https://twitter.com/...

• @mrdavemacleod Dave on x

  It turns out that Elon Musk is now forcing Stephen King and a few other poor celebs to have the Twitter Blue badge of shame... new levels of tragic 🫠 https://twitter.com/...

• @melaniepodolyak Melaniya Podolyak on x

  Will there be an “Elon funded media” comment under their ticks? https://twitter.com/...

• @arlenedickinson Arlene Dickinson on x

  Hahaha!! This is gold. Nobody who had a legacy blue check mark is not paying because they can't. https://twitter.com/...

• @alexeheath Alex Heath on x

  And here is Musk confirming he paid for Stephen King's subscription (it was King's initial pushback to Musk's desire to charge $20 a month that got him to lower the price to what it is now) https://twitter.com/...

• @leenavand Leena on x

  entertainment lawyer friends: is there a legal argument to be made that Musk has dragged James into an unpaid endorsement deal without his permission? i can't imagine his representation are happy about that https://twitter.com/...

• @karaswisher Kara Swisher on x

  Buying your friends is embarrassing but buying other people's blue check so it looks like they like your jam is next level pathetic. https://twitter.com/...

• @iohk_charles Charles Hoskinson on x

  Looks like Stephen has the plot for his next horror novel figured out https://twitter.com/...

• @titterdaily @titterdaily on x

  NEWS: Some celebrities have been offered a complimentary Twitter Blue subscription ‘on behalf of Elon Musk.’

• @ynb Yvette Nicole Brown on x

  Musky doesn't even honor his own convictions. Says a lot about what he thinks about the things you hold dear. Read this thread: https://twitter.com/...

• @ayeshaijazkhan Ayesha Ijaz Khan on x

  That's kind of what Dubai did with its real estate. Gave free flats to David Beckham and Shahrukh Khan types so others would get on the bandwagon. https://twitter.com/...

• @girlsreallyrule Amee Vanderpool on x

  I'm gonna need to see those receipts. https://twitter.com/...

• @jon_prosser Jon Prosser on x

  Elon: we have to get rid of the legacy checkmarks because a lot were corruptly handed out to friends of staff! Also Elon: I gave a few to my friends https://twitter.com/...

• @teslaanddoge @teslaanddoge on x

  Stephen King is very left leaning and a critic of Elon Musk. Yet Elon is paying for his subscription. This says something of Elon's character. https://twitter.com/...

• @janicedean Janice Dean on x

  I do find it funny that @StephenKing complained about paying for a blue check so @elonmusk let him keep it and now he's complaining about that. https://twitter.com/...

• @mikeisaac @mikeisaac on x

  funniest possible version of this is celebrities saying “please do not comp me, i dont want people to think i paid” https://twitter.com/...

• @fieldproducer Neal Mann on x

  This is just terrible strategy on so many levels https://twitter.com/...

• @karaswisher Kara Swisher on x

  So Elon's big beef was that twitter was arbitrarily handing out verifications under the old regime. So, what is he doing? arbitrarily handing out verifications AND paying for some of them himself even if no one wants them. https://twitter.com/...

• @mbtyugioh @mbtyugioh on x

  lmao celebrities didn't wanna pay for the checkmark so he's manually putting it on some of them in order to make it look cool this is going extremely well https://twitter.com/...

• @alexeheath Alex Heath on x

  And there were three https://twitter.com/...

• @alexeheath Alex Heath on x

  this beat is insane https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @sophlouisehall Sophie Hall on x

  Elon really invented Loser Badges and then made people he desperately wants to be friends with wear them https://twitter.com/...

• @arestless@mastodon.gamedev.place @arestless@mastodon.gamedev.place on mastodon

  @Techmeme “to give me money you have to first give me money by subscribing” sounds like an awesome business model.

• @mattnavarra Matt Navarra on x

  WOW... Twitter is now telling advertisers it MUST subscribe to Twitter Blue or Verified Organisations to continue running ads! https://twitter.com/...

• @jamieeast Jamie East on x

  This is pretty hilarious. An email from twitter saying that you have to pay for verification before you can have the privilege of advertising on Twitter. Absolutely deranged. https://twitter.com/...

• @carnage4life Dare Obasanjo on x

  Before you buy ads on Twitter, you need to spend $8 on a blue check is the very definition of penny wise and pound foolish. Every advertiser is already spending more than $8. Why chase after pennies from them? https://twitter.com/...

• @mehedih_ Mehedi on x

  At this point he must be trolling right? Because ain't no way they're sabotaging their ad business that's already struggling https://twitter.com/...

• @tante @tante on x

  Totally not a desperate move by a company without a working strategy. https://twitter.com/...

• @jperlow @jperlow on x

  So it sounds like for now, an org can still use a regular $8 month blue account, it doesn't have to pay $1000 per month. https://twitter.com/...

• @danprimack Dan Primack on x

  If you want to pay us, you first need to pay us. https://twitter.com/...

• @reportbywilson Teddy Wilson on x

  “Twitter's broader verification strategy” “We're making this shit up as we go along” https://twitter.com/...

• @mattnavarra Matt Navarra on x

  BREAKING... Twitter is forcing all advertisers to pay up for verification OR they cant run ads https://twitter.com/...

• @robertmackey Robert Mackey on x

  Mission accomplished. While everyone was distracted by his blue-check removals, Musks's Twitter deleted labels that alerted users that they were reading news from state-run propaganda outlets of authoritarian governments. Potemkin news channels now free to inject disinformation. …

• @bobbyallyn Bobby Allyn on x

  NEW: Elon Musk tells me Twitter has now dropped all media labels. Asked why, Musk says: “This was Walter Isaacson's suggestion.”

• @afp @afp on x

  #UPDATE Twitter has dropped “state-affiliated” and “government-funded” labels from media accounts, according to a review by @AFP on Friday of many high-profile pages on the platform Many major media outlets that had either of those tags no longer display them, according to AFP. h…

• @mollyjongfast Molly Jong-Fast on x

  This seems really important https://twitter.com/...

• @daveleebbg Dave Lee on x

  Lost two major public broadcasters along the way. Great going https://twitter.com/...

• @willoremus Will Oremus on x

  So @NPR and @BBC's Twitter accounts no longer say “state-funded media”... and neither do @RT_com or @PDChina's https://twitter.com/...

• @brindusab1 @brindusab1 on x

  #Twitter #StateAffiliatedMedia Ongoing experiments ... good or bad, only time will tell ... Some might compare yesterday's #SpaceX 2nd stage blast to Twitter's management ... https://www.reuters.com/...

• @michaelcaster Michael Caster on x

  #Twitter removed “state-affiliated media” label from some accounts. The label is important to identify government influence on editorial content but labels have also been removed from #China state-affiliated media responsible for information manipulation. https://www.reuters.com/…

• @keithboykin Keith Boykin on x

  In a victory for NPR over Elon Musk, Twitter has dropped the “Government-funded Media” label from the National Public Radio account. @NPR recently stopped posting on Twitter, but it's unclear if the media outlet will return after Musk's new reversal. https://www.reuters.com/...

• @dynamicsymmetry Sunny Moraine on x

  Virtually no display of incompetence here could really surprise me anymore but this is hilarious https://twitter.com/...

• @tommywalkerco Tommy Walker on x

  Legacy blue tickets removed. Also “China state affiliated media” tags also gone for angry propaganda hawks. Twitter becoming a circus, anyone can say anything with no accountability nor checks. Maybe great for content but ground zero for bullshit.

• @mattbinder Matt Binder on x

  before today Joe Biden's Twitter account was labeled “US government official” after the legacy verified blue checkmarks were removed...the labels gone too https://twitter.com/...

• @salhachimi @salhachimi on x

  Within 24 hours since Elon Musk removed the legacy blue ticks, someone has set up a fake account for Hemedti's Rapid Support Forces in #Sudan, bought a blue tick, and tweeted that Hemedti has been killed in the ongoing fighting. Twitter gone wild. https://twitter.com/...