Twitter’s blue ticks, once a symbol of authenticity and fame, were reinstated on high-profile accounts on Saturday, a move that many protested. These ticks now have to be purchased by subscribers for $8 per month, as part of Twitter’s “Twitter Blue” strategy to generate revenue.
Elon Musk, the owner, announced the strategy last year, and according to Travis Brown, a Berlin-based software developer who tracks social media platforms, only a tiny fraction of blue-ticked users subscribed. However, on Friday and Saturday, a number of high-profile individuals, including author Stephen King, NBA champion LeBron James, and former US President Donald Trump, regained their blue ticks, seemingly without taking any action.
Musk tweeted that he was personally paying for some subscriptions. Some dead celebrities, such as US chef Anthony Bourdain, also received a blue tick. Many official media accounts, including AFP, regained their tick without subscribing to Twitter Blue.
The New York Times, among the major media groups that have a gold tick reserved for an “official business account” paying at least $1,000 a month, also regained its gold badge this month after Musk criticized the news organization as “propaganda.”