Twitter was once a place where famous and influential people get their checkmarks because they deserve them.
Following Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter, and after his numerous tweaks and changes, he made the blue checkmark something that can be bought. He called it 'Twitter Blue'.
This time, following Twitter's rebrand to X, Twitter Blue has been renamed to 'X Blue'.
And if that is not enough for a change, Musk's X is also allowing paying subscribers to hide their 'dreaded' checkmark.
With the change, X Blue users can wander X like 'normal people' without being shamed.
No more shame, so no one is to blame.
Since Twitter removed its legacy blue checkmark verification system, the move quickly sparked controversy.
Historically, Twitter's blue checkmark is reserved to those accounts that are "authentic, notable, and active."
This time, that isn't the case anymore because Musk, the eccentric billionaire and serial entrepreneur who bought Twitter, is changing many things in it, in order to restore profit and order.
And according to him, Twitter's legacy verified program is a "lords & peasants" system that he described as "bullshit."
The only way to get the verified blue checkmark, is by paying.
Musk's X that has been trying to sell the subscription is met with confusion and mockery. Musk literally "corrupted" the verification process, allowing anyone to purchase it for just a few dollars.
The social media created an awkward situation where if users just wanted to look verified, like they were who they said they were, or if they wanted those extra Blue features, they had to look like Musk's acolyte, who are generally the majority of blue checkmark users in the new era.
Because of this, not that many people cared about even having that checkmark.
Read: Twitter Blue Subscribers Are Allowed To Download X's Videos: A Meme-Inducing Move
This started in April 2023, and fast forward to August, many people and organizations and companies are still not paying for Twitter Blue because they started seeing the blue checkmark as something that can be bought.
Musk is trying to pivot from advertising revenue to subscriptions, but is trading dollars for pennies.
In an update, X that wishes to make even more money from the now-X Blue, is making it possible for subscribers to hide their checkmark.
What this means, subscribers of X Blue should be able to benefit from the various perks and features, but without being shamed for their 'paid checkmarks'.
With the ability to remove the checkmark from appearing next to users' profile, no one should knows that an X Blue subscriber, is an X Blue subscriber.
A win-win solution.
