The real blue checkmarks will disappear: only those who pay will get another one

There was a time when you could get a great deal of news on Twitter. Politicians, organizations, celebrities… are always sharing “breaking news” or edgy announcements on Twitter. The main question for journalists and citizens: Is this real or not? False news? Check: check mark.Also the celebs who occasionally shared absurdities that made you suspect if this was really the work of a troll? Check the check mark. How can you be sure it’s really UN, Lil Nas X, or Marc Van Ranst tweeting and not a scammer? Well: thanks to the blue checkmarks. They meant “verified” or “verified”. From accounts with that check mark, you could be 99% sure that the person, band, company, or organization… was real.

This is now about to end. Because from April 1, Twitter will phase out this program and replace it with Twitter Blue. It costs €9.68 per month (or €8.47 per month if you choose an annual plan) and also gives you that blue check mark. Additionally, Twitter promises that paying users will see far fewer ads. Also, starting April 15th, tweets from Twitter Blue accounts — those who pay for the blue tick — will rank higher in the algorithmically curated “For You” timelines. It’s not clear if all the “old” blue checkmarks will immediately disappear from April 1. Twitter has launched a new “Verified” program for organizations, businesses, and government organizations…. They get gold check marks, which cost about 1,000 euros per month.

Why does Twitter do this?

The check mark system didn’t exist just to give some users status. For “ordinary” users—without legal status—it was a way to quickly and accurately check whether a tweet was trustworthy.Moreover, the segmentation system was also important to Twitter internally. Tweets from accounts with this checkmark were given priority in algorithms and made sure they were not spam accounts. It appears that this is now being gradually fixed.

What is certain is that this development is viewed with suspicion. The first time Twitter brought the program up, it created chaos. Anyone with a surplus of just under €10 per month can register under the real name of Elon Musk on Twitter. The program has been suspended and meanwhile Twitter promises to beef up the safety nets – for example, there will still be some identity checks for people who sign up.

However, this shift is also important for casual users. Since Twitter will only display tweets from paying users “organically” in the users timeline, you are de facto invisible on Twitter as a non-paying user. Only people who have already followed you will now see your Tweets. Only those who pay will see their jokes, good memes, breaking news, etc., become viral or not.