As a significant portion of the world enjoys a spliff on 4/20, some will come down to find their Twitter checkmarks gone.
After months of protest against Twitter’s move to charge a fee for the blue checkmarks that verified some of its users, the platform tweeted a reminder alerting users to subscribe to Twitter Blue in order to keep their checkmarks.
“Tomorrow, 4/20, we are removing legacy verified checkmarks. To remain verified on Twitter, individuals can sign up for Twitter Blue here,” tweeted the platform this week with a link directing users to a Blue application form.
That coveted blue checkmark, once reserved for public figures including celebrities, politicians, and verified journalists, is now available to anyone in the world willing to pay $8/month on Web. The service charges more for Twitter Blue subscriptions on iOS and Android.
Read More: Is Twitter’s ‘blue tick’ a status symbol or ID badge? And what will happen if anyone can buy one?
Twitter owner Elon Musk spiked an ongoing debate on a range of issues linked to charging a fee for verification on the platform. These include class and affordability issues on tweeps who can afford to subscribe to Twitter Blue simply by buying authenticity or class on the platform.
Read More: Tweeps are not paying for Twitter Blue
Despite the platform’s push to increase subscribers for Blue by adding more features and marketing the paid-for version, many have opted not to pay for it. These include prominent people and organizations.
Me joining you all tomorrow unverified 🥰 https://t.co/ujDlcsV8aL pic.twitter.com/1p6Q0uRuj1
— Halle Berry (@halleberry) April 20, 2023
Musk has been on a drive to boost the social media company’s revenue since acquiring the platform in October 2022. Since then, the new head has introduced a range of changes and features to the platform.
As most legacy checkmarks go up in flames on 4/20, it remains to be seen if more users will subscribe to Blue to get the checkmark back. It’ll be a great test of whether the blue tick is as powerful as we’ve perceived it to be.
