There was an emotional spell all over Twitter as the users shared gloomy messages to bid adieu to their legacy of the verified badge as the microblogging site announced the removal of blue checkmarks from April 1.
Users have massively rejected the decision since Twitter owner Elon Musk announced that $8 per month will be charged for the blue checkmark (iOS and Android signups will cost $11 per month, due to app store costs).
Before the tech mogul took over the platform, checkmarks were used to verify accounts of individuals and groups as active authentic and “notable” accounts of interest so the tweeps are now mourning the loss of their verified accounts.
The users posted sad memes on social media as a response to the upcoming changes. Have a look at the reactions:
Meanwhile, Elon Musk defended his controversial pay model for Twitter, claiming that any social media platform that didn't follow suit would fail because it would be swarmed by bots.
Musk made his prediction on the eve of Twitter's April 1 ultimatum that verified accounts with the cherished blue tick that had not forked over cash would lose it.
"The fundamental challenge here is that it's (easy) to create literally 10,000 or 100,000 fake Twitter accounts using just one computer at home and with modern AI (artificial intelligence)," Musk told a question and answer session on Twitter.
"That's the reason for really pressing hard on verified where the verified requires a number from a reputable phone carrier and a credit card," Musk said.
"My prediction is that any so-called social media network that doesn't do this will fail," Musk added.
The change in the system puts pressure on companies, journalists and celebrities who used Twitter as their main channel of communication and relied on the blue tick for credibility.
And it also raises the spectre of imposters and jokesters paying for an officially verified, but totally fake account.
— Additional information from AFP
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