Dismay as X’s most-followed accounts given blue ticks for free

The blue tick is now being applied to users with more than 2,500 ‘verified subscriber follows’ as well as those who have paid for it. Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters

Elon Musk has reversed one of his most notorious decisions since taking over X, the social network better known as Twitter, and started bestowing blue ticks on the site’s most-followed users – whether they want them or not.

The entrepreneur and one-time “Chief Twit” had tweeted last week that the service would grant free “premium” status to any user with more than 2,500 “verified subscriber follows” and accounts with more than 5,000 would get “premium+”. That policy is now being enacted.