Elon Musk has made a significant reversal in his decision to charge users for blue checkmarks on Twitter, a system he once criticized as elitist. Musk had initially required journalists, celebrities, and other notable users to pay $8 a month for the coveted blue badge, but has now widely restored the badges to prominent accounts on the platform.
Many users woke up to find themselves designated as 'influential members of the community' and granted complimentary subscriptions to a premium service by X. Musk's move to monetize the blue checkmark was aimed at building a subscription business and reducing the platform's reliance on advertising revenue.
Despite Musk's insistence that users pay for the badge, most journalists and notable users declined to do so. Instead, those willing to pay for the status symbol were primarily Musk supporters, right-wing trolls, and others who would not have qualified under the previous verification system.
Furthermore, the verification system was compromised as trolls impersonating others were granted blue checkmarks, undermining the badge's credibility. This led to the symbol losing its value and becoming a sign of loyalty to Musk rather than a mark of authenticity.
Since Musk's takeover of Twitter, the platform has experienced a decline in daily usage, with a significant drop in both user base and daily active users. In contrast, Meta's Threads platform has shown growth, with Mark Zuckerberg aiming to reach 1 billion users.
As Musk's platform descends into a right-wing-dominated environment, other platforms like Mastodon and BlueSky have emerged as alternatives for Twitter users. Musk's attempt to restore blue checkmarks to attract back former power users reflects the platform's struggle to retain its appeal.
