In a campaign called #BlockTheBlue, some Twitter users, including popular ones like @dril, are asking people to block anyone who subscribes to Twitter Blue

After Elon Musk removed legacy verified users' checkmarks, Twitter's biggest users are blocking everyone who pays.

Mashable 2023-04-23 Matt Binder

Context & Ripple Effects

Twitter had just removed legacy verification badges, turning Twitter Blue into the platform’s primary visible verification marker. That policy shift followed the removal of legacy checkmarks, making the subscription badge newly salient in everyday account interactions.

The backlash is not limited to criticism of the product: prominent users have also said they received unwanted Blue checkmarks. #BlockTheBlue therefore tests whether a paid status marker can become a social liability rather than a trust signal.

First-order effects

Twitter Blue subscribers targeted by participants may lose access to parts of their existing social graph through blocks, reducing the practical reach of their accounts.
Twitter’s paid badge becomes more contentious immediately: instead of simply denoting a subscription, it can identify an account for organized rejection among critics.

Second-order effects

If blocking spreads beyond a small group, prospective subscribers must weigh the badge’s platform features against a possible loss of audience access, weakening its value for users who depend on broad interaction.
Creators and high-profile accounts can turn blocking into a visible response to Twitter’s verification change, increasing pressure on Twitter to distinguish paid subscription status from identity verification.

Third-order effects

The episode points to a broader credibility problem for platforms that monetize highly visible status signals: community norms can determine whether the signal conveys trust, affiliation, or stigma.
If such conflicts persist, verification may fragment into competing signals—platform subscription, external reputation, and community endorsement—rather than serving as a single broadly accepted marker.

The trend: Social platforms are increasingly discovering that monetizing identity and status features can prompt users to renegotiate the meaning of those signals themselves.

Discussion

@dsilverman@mastodon.social Dwight Silverman on mastodon
@philippsteinkrueger @Techmeme dril is gonna dril, which if you follow him, is the best way to understand him. It's 100% game. — Also:
@atomicpoet@mastodon.social Chris Trottier on mastodon
@Techmeme It's a silly campaign because Elon Musk can just ignore blocks if he wants.
@dril Wint on x
Ah they got me. Im fucked https://twitter.com/...
@ian_schwartzman Ian Schwartzman on x
People will pay $8 for a coffee every morning to have their name on it, $10 a month for a streaming service to watch repeats of an old show, $50 a day on weed, but won't pay for verification of their own identity on Twitter without acting like it's costing them their life.
@mattbinder Matt Binder on x
hahahahahahahaha Elon Musk actually did it LeBron James, Stephen King, Matt Binder https://twitter.com/...
@usingcigarettes @usingcigarettes on x
twitter has silently changed their Hateful Conduct policy to prohibit ‘direct attacks’ against users on the basis of their blue checkmark. https://twitter.com/...
@nycsouthpaw @nycsouthpaw on x
I think what's happening is @dril keeps changing his display name, triggering the check mark's automatic removal, but then after a few minutes the CEO's personal revenge team at twitter pops it back on there to spite him. https://twitter.com/...
@paultoo Paul Buchheit on x
I would pay extra to be blocked by these people https://twitter.com/...
@mattbinder Matt Binder on x
new from me: some of Twitter's most popular accounts are going full steam ahead with #BlockTheBlue, a campaign to block all users paying $8 to Elon Musk for a blue checkmark @dril, @Eve6, and @BlockTheBlue tell me why they block the blue: https://mashable.com/...
@timsweeneyepic Tim Sweeney on x
People in this #BlockTheBlue pressure campaign are losers and goons. They're the cool kids from junior high who worked to exclude we nerds from cool kid events, plus the losers who joined in to gain cred. The elite-only verification system sucked, been criticizing it since 2018. …
@stephenking Stephen King on x
I think Mr. Musk should give my blue check to charity. I recommend the Prytula Foundation, which provides lifesaving services in Ukraine. It's only $8, so perhaps Mr. Musk could add a bit more.
@shayan86 Shayan Sardarizadeh on x
THREAD: a collection of fake Twitter accounts after the removal of legacy verification A fake account with Blue subscription posing as Sudan's Rapid Support Forces, currently involved in a conflict, falsely claimed the death of its leader Mohamed Dagalo, getting 1.7M views. https…
@dril Wint on x
scientology brain. paint huffing used car dealer brain. pillhead grandma brain. shit stained herman miller brain #BlockTheBlueChecks https://twitter.com/...
@mattbinder Matt Binder on x
to be fair to Twitter, what social media company would want the two stars of the most popular shows on the planet creating free content for their platform https://twitter.com/...
@kattenbarge Kat Tenbarge on x
The Twitter experience for celebrities was already pretty bad, now every celebrity's reply section is a cesspool where people who hate them are elevated to the top. Twitter is probably the only social media platform to actively foster a negative experience for its biggest users.
@scobleizer Robert Scoble on x
I would too. I have been on Twitter 16 years and I support both @elonmusk and the new direction of Twitter. If that triggers you please block to protect your mental health. https://twitter.com/...
@mcuban Mark Cuban on x
There were 100 ways @elonmusk could have asked legacy checks for $100. Egalitarianism was the worst of all of them. It's Diet Coke level. Let me give some examples https://twitter.com/...
@lebassett Laura Bassett on x
It appears that Elon has now blocked nonpayers' ability to see verified notifications to make it harder for us to mass block/mute the blue checks. Just humiliating for him and this platform https://twitter.com/...
@steinkobbe @steinkobbe on x
This is the end of Twitter. Elon is a braindead petty manchild and the more involved he is in running the company the sooner it's going to be run into bankruptcy. Only hope for the place to live on is for him to sell it or leave
@photomatt Matt Mullenweg on x
Why I just paid for Twitter Blue: 1. I think Twitter is great and want to see it succeed. I learn a ton on here. 2. I want to see subscription models work for social networks, we're also attempting this on @tumblr.
@palafo Patrick LaForge on x
I looked at Blue when it first came out. If the features were actually useful, I'd consider it. I don't care about my lost check but the loss of actual identity verification of newsmakers has harmed Twitter's usefulness to me as a journalist.
@steinkobbe @steinkobbe on x
I have been informed it was removed because dril changed his username to remove it, but now it is back there, because I guess Elon is monitoring the account and putting it back as soon as dril removes it, which is so pathetic it's impossible to put into words really https://twitt…
@esesci @esesci on x
#BlockTheBlue is silly, but blue users have real power to dampen your reach. regular users have been left powerless against it. blocking blue users ahead of time could mitigate the illicit effects. i wouldn't care at all to do that, but some might choose to, and it's only fair. h…
@dril Wint on x
sorry im wrong. please dont block twitter blue users. please continue letting guys like this fill your time line https://twitter.com/...
@chrissyteigen Chrissy Teigen on x
wait I'm crying they're giving them for punishment now !!?!! https://twitter.com/...
@dieworkwear Derek Guy on x
blue check is the only product ive seen where you can do reverse shilling. if you say it sucks enough, the company will give you one for free. https://twitter.com/...
@tomcoates Tom Coates on x
@elonmusk Quick summary of what's happened. Elon removed verified checkmarks from actual experts and celebrities hoping it would push them to subscribe to blue. 28 individual people out of 407,000 did. https://twitter.com/...
@heyjenbartel Jen Bartel on x
It shouldn't surprise me that the CEO of Epic Games thinks a pay-to-play business model like twitter blue is somehow, actually a meritocracy—and yet I still find myself absolutely reeling at this thread lol jfc 🫠 https://twitter.com/...
@hotdogsladies Merlin Mann on x
Earlier today somebody said it's like paying eight dollars a month to have herpes. Which means that getting a complimentary check still makes it look like you're spending eight dollars a month to have herpes and tell everybody you're weirdly into your herpes. https://twitter.com/…
@steinkobbe @steinkobbe on x
Elon is destroying his haters right now by forcing a product on them that they don't even want. Shows how much Twitter Blue is worth that it's in his eyes a way to own people to buy it for them https://twitter.com/...
@katienotopoulos Katie Notopoulos on x
Elon personally banned @MattBinder over Elon J*t stuff, then shut down all of Spaces just to stop Matt when he was able to still log in, and now forced free Blue on him. Imagine the palatial estate Matt lives in Elon's mind rent free https://twitter.com/...
@_megconley Meg Conley on x
Elon forcing check marks on people who do not want them has real Prince Humperdinck trying to make Buttercup marry him energy. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@oneunderscore__ Ben Collins on x
@steinkobbe Billionaire rocketman spends day trying to mildly inconvenience man who famously posted “BOSS TELLS ME I CAN KISS MY FERRETS AT WORK, BUT NO OPEN MOUTH.”
@drvolts David Roberts on x
Just millions & millions of dudes (mostly dudes) who have made “revenge on the popular kids who ignored me in school” their entire politics, personality, and worldview.
@teroterotero Tero Kuittinen on x
A thought experiment: if Hermes started selling the Birkin at WaWa for $49, would women buying the bag gain the same status Florence Pugh has - or would Flo stop carrying the bag? Would yelling at her to continue using the bag help? Or not?
@daniel_rubino Daniel Rubino on x
While I don't personally block Twitter Blue accounts, I'll note that Control Panel for Twitter has always had the option to block (Legacy) Verified accounts, so ... fair is fair here.
@teroterotero Tero Kuittinen on x
The last of them https://twitter.com/...
@mrnastynodrama Andrew on x
It's awesome that this guy owns bandcamp https://twitter.com/...
@rachelneedsanap Rachel on x
Sigh. The nerd persecution complex. Growing up, we were all told: “It's ok, you're smarter than the bullies, they're going nowhere in life.” Now we have grown men who think “nerd” is a marginalized group, & everyone else is a brainless npc jock chad. https://twitter.com/...
@klobstar @klobstar on x
lmao, it's always someone you've never heard of that's the most upset no one's ever heard of them https://twitter.com/...
@sriramk Sriram Krishnan on x
This is true. Talk to any ex or current social media employee and they know exactly how verification is a social trade (and have been hit up multiple times for verification asks). https://twitter.com/...
@carnage4life @carnage4life on x
Twitter no longer has a verification program. You're paying $8/month for features like editing tweets and a badge that advertises you pay for those features. Many don't consider these features worth paying for. Elon could charge for verification but isn't. Meta Verified is that. …
@rdrv3 David Ruddock on x
Stephen King is literally offering FREE PUBLICITY for Twitter Blue (implicit here: “donating” his check is a cause he supports and *will vocally endorse*). And the replies are universally “hurrrrrr you're rich THIS ISN'T A CHARITY MISTER MURDER MILLIONS!!!111!!” https://twitter.c…
@nataliesurely Natalie Shure on x
What's funny about “JUST PAY THE $8!!!” is if platform merely introduced user fees, more people would've paid. But Twitter Blue was instead rolled out as an Elon fan club badge, framed explicitly as a “fuck you” to anyone left of center. Now they're pissed that branding worked
@pt Parker on x
I can only speak for myself, but I sadly wasn't cool in middle school & don't care about elite status symbols, I just don't want to be part of this dumb culture war, so I will block dumb culture warriors like Tim. https://twitter.com/...
@pt Parker on x
I'm actively rooting for Twitter 3.0 with competent product leadership, & the faster Elon is driven into bankruptcy the less damage will be done. So, same tactics, different goals. https://twitter.com/...
@reportbywilson @reportbywilson on x
.@dril: “I am actively rooting for the downfall of twitter. I hope to sabotage their efforts to become profitable, no matter how futile, in the hopes that they will eventually close up shop and release us all from this toilet.” https://mashable.com/...
@radishharmers Sridhar Ramesh on x
Elon Musk is going to make a “Blue Lives Matter” response to #BlockTheBlue any day now. I can feel it in my bones.
@scalzi John Scalzi on x
I don't plan to do this (I block for other reasons, I assure you), but it does point to the extent that the blue check on Twitter has been devalued, and how quickly. https://mashable.com/...
@williamlegate @williamlegate on x
we've halted the development of the #BlockTheBlue browser extensions due to threats from Elon re: censoring our accounts if we move forward with this project
@mattbinder Matt Binder on x
#BlockTheBlue is now trending https://mashable.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@keithboykin Keith Boykin on x
1. Elon demands $8. 2. Legacy bluechecks refuse. 3. Elon yanks legacy bluechecks. 4. Legacy bluechecks still refuse. 5. Elon realizes bluechecks now worthless. 6. Elon gifts bluechecks to fave celebs. 7. Elon groupies demand others “Pay the 8!” 8. #BlockTheBlue trends. 9. https:/…
@parismarx Paris Marx on x
“99% of twitter blue guys are dead-eyed cretins who are usually trying to sell you something stupid and expensive,” says @dril. “blocking them and encouraging others to do the same on a massive scale is the complete opposite of what they want.” https://mashable.com/...
@timsweeneyepic Tim Sweeney on x
And there's Twitter's old unwritten practice of using verification to condition user speech, for example un-verifying Louis Farakhan as punishment for his words. I strongly disagree with Louis Farakhan's views, but I'm quite sure his identity verification was never in question.
@mattbinder Matt Binder on x
confirmed: Elon Musk is aware of #BlockTheBlue https://twitter.com/...
@tomcoates Tom Coates on x
This is the way. https://twitter.com/...
@limitlessjest @limitlessjest on x
Blue Check Tweet 2017: Gut-punched by this essential reading about the situation in Iran from Teen Vogue. We can't look away from this. Blue Check Tweet 2023: Elon can you bail me out of jail I just put my gun in a shoplifter's mouth at Office Depot
@billmckibben Bill McKibben on x
Sadly, the blue check has now become an almost perfect signal that its bearer is a white nationalist convinced that climate activism is a Soros-sponsored scam. (and/or crypto dude). I've never blocked anyone, but this approach seems sound. https://mashable.com/...
@eve6 @eve6 on x
Truly astonishing level of situationally unaware narc lol https://twitter.com/...
@taylorlorenz Taylor Lorenz on x
BlockTheBlue is taking off https://mashable.com/...
@dazey_ghost @dazey_ghost on x
Dril is a modern-day Sisyphus and I can't express how much I love him https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@halomancer1 @halomancer1 on x
reminder that if too many elon paypigs block you, twitter will deboost your account, giving you an incentive to #BlockTheBlue before they can block you. https://twitter.com/...
@harrymccracken Harry McCracken on x
This seems pointless unless your goal is to actively make Twitter worse. In which case, why are you on Twitter? https://mashable.com/...
@mattnavarra Matt Navarra on x
Dril and other Twitter power users begin campaign to ‘Block the Blue’ paid checkmarks “The campaign to “Block the Blue” - that is, any user still with a blue checkmark which signifies they are paying Musk for it - is in full swing” https://mashable.com/...
@eve6 @eve6 on x
“I am actively rooting for the downfall of twitter,” @dril tells me. “I hope to sabotage their efforts to become profitable, no matter how futile, in the hopes that they will eventually close up shop and release us all from this toilet.” https://twitter.com/...
@atrachelgilmore Rachel Gilmore on x
Elon Musk, the self-described free speech absolutist: https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@nic__carter @nic__carter on x
the funny thing about these very mad unfunny libbed up irony twitter accounts that peaked in 2016 is how they resolutely continue to use the platform that they claim to hate. i hope elon keeps squeezing them until they get 3 impressions/tweet and the buy blue or quit https://twit…
@jonkay Jonathan Kay on x
We've gone from “people without blue ticks have plebe cooties” to “people with blue ticks are plebes with cooties stealing my bygone prestige” in a period of about 5 years https://twitter.com/...
@malcolmnance Malcolm Nance on x
WHOO HOO. MY BLUE CHECK IS GONE. 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾 I will now block all blue checks in my TL.
@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.
@tonyatamanuik Anthony Atamanuik on x
It really is something to behold, the Blue Check is now the perfect way to identify and block every toxic piece of shit that resides on this site! Thank you @elonmusk https://twitter.com/...

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