Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are among the American political figures who had their blue check removed by Twitter. Only subscribers to Twitter Blue will have access to the Twitter Verification symbol.
Twitter admins have begun taking the legendary blue check from several of the website’s high-profile subscribers.
Elon Musk Shakes Up Twitter Verification
On Thursday, blue checkmarks disappeared from the profiles of Bill Gates, Justin Bieber, Donald Trump, and Twitter founder Jack Dorsey. Celebrities like Oprah, Ricky Gervais, Beyonce, JK Rowling, Kim Kardashian, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Megan Thee Stallion all no longer have the blue check. Even Pope Francis has lost his Twitter Verification status.
The removal of legacy blue checks has been one of Elon Musk’s most controversial moves since he acquired the platform for $44 billion in October 2021.
Another former US President, Barack Obama, still has his own blue tick. His verified badge explains:
“This account is verified because it’s an affiliate of @TheObamaOffice on Twitter.”
The logo of the affiliate organization, in this case, Obama’s official office, sits next to the blue check. Bill Clinton, on the other hand, appears to be subscribed to Twitter Blue. However, his wife, Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State and two-time presidential candidate, does not have a Twitter Verification mark.
Under the original blue check system, Twitter had around 300,000 verified users, including actors, authors, musicians, journalists, and other public figures. To its critics, the system had become too bloated and included many people of little note.
However, Twitter will no longer verify accounts to ensure their legitimacy, except for those with a Twitter Blue subscription or those affiliated with the company. Different colored checkmarks, such as gold and grey, will still indicate verified businesses and government organizations.
Elon Musk first introduced the paid-for blue check last December. He has claimed he had little choice but to increase revenue to save the company from bankruptcy.
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