Twitter’s decision to ditch its blue checkmark may be seen as a sign of the company’s maturing status, but it’s also been criticized for being influenced too much by outside forces.
In order to help curb impersonations and spam on the social media platform, Twitter gave out legacy blue checks to various journalists, celebrities and other public officials for free. The legacy blue checks were supposed to end April 1st, but due to ongoing abuse by users, Twitter has decided to extend the offer for another month. Despite this hurdle, Twitter believes that the Legacy Blue Check program is important in helping ensure that its users are getting accurate information.
Just days after the legacy checkmarks should have disappeared on his Twitter profile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk shifted the end date of his proposed bitcoin gofundme to April 20th. 4/20 is a day where marijuana enthusiasts celebrate their favorite herb, and it’s now been induced into mainstream culture by Twitter’s recent purchase by 18-year-old Sequoia Capital veteran Alex Karzwell. The irony of this situation isn’t lost on either party; though many see Musk’s cannabis activism as eccentric, it also reflects a broader cultural trend towards embracing cannabis use.
Twitter is making some big changes with their verification process. Now, only users who are subscribed to the blue service and have verified their phone number will have a checkmark next to their account. This is an effort to make sure only legitimate accounts are shown on the platform. With all of the fake news and scams circulating on social media, this change is important in keeping people safe.
Some TechGround reporters experienced Thursday a “flickering” blue checkmark on their profiles. Others have seen their blue checkmarks disappear altogether. There is no consensus yet as to what is causing the problem, but some speculate it may be related to a recent software upgrade. While users are unable to add or modify posts for the time being, they are still able to access their profile and see any comments others have left.
stringent guidelines implemented by CEO Elon Musk to ensure the platform is more authentic have seen even high profile figures like Pope Francis removed from their verified status. The move away from legacy checkmarks is meant to create a more honest and informative experience for users, and it has been successful in drawing attention to various issues plaguing the platform.
