X Bestows Blue Checkmarks upon Influential Users (as Intended)

X is giving blue checks to influential users (which is what blue checks were supposed to be all along)X is giving free blue checks to users who have more than 2500 “verified” followers (or, people that subscribe to X Premium). So, basically this means that if you are a popular poster, you will get a blue check. This also means that these lucky people are frantically posting to make it clear that they didn’t buy a blue check — the blue check was foisted upon them. Back in days of yore, Twitter’s blue check indicated that a user was influential in some way. Back then, blue checks actually helped us determine if public figures are who they say they are.

X has made a bold move by offering coveted blue checks to influential users. This essentially returns the blue check to its original purpose – a symbol of influence and credibility. However, the requirements have changed.

In order to receive a blue check, users must now have at least 2500 “verified” followers or be subscribed to X Premium. Essentially, popularity on X guarantees a blue check. This new system has left some users scrambling to prove they did not purchase the check, but rather were selected by X.

“Some personal news: I’m now a serial small business founder in Arizona who posts about fatherhood, faith and what it takes to get a roofing company to $100 million ARR,” shared Tom Gara, a newly minted blue check.

“This is punishment for posting too much,” wrote a reluctant blue check, Katie Notopoulos.

In the early days of the blue check, Twitter used it to denote influential users. This seems like a foreign concept now, in a time where blue checks can be purchased. But let me take you back to the ancient era of 2022, when X was still Twitter and real advertisers graced its platform, rather than drop-shipped AliExpress products. Back then, the blue check held real value – it helped distinguish legitimate public figures from impersonators and contributed to reducing the spread of misinformation.

You can’t turn back time, but you can reinvent it. That’s exactly what X has done by announcing that all accounts with over 2500 verified subscribers will receive free Premium features, with accounts over 5000 receiving even more perks. In a tweet, Elon Musk himself shared this update:

Elon Musk: @elonmusk
Date: March 28, 2024

Until now, having a blue check typically meant one of four things: a desperate desire for validation, a craving for X’s premium features, excessive impersonation leading to an $8 monthly payment to Elon Musk, or a crypto spam bot. But with this new change, the blue check has been given a new purpose. However, it still won’t be able to distinguish between legitimate accounts and those of reply guys pestering you to buy their memecoins.