Twitter Blue verification controversy

{{being merged|Twitter verification|Talk:Twitter Blue verification controversy#Requested move 24 April 2023|dir=to|daye=April 2023}}

File:Twitter Verified Badge.svg

On April 20, 2023, Twitter (known as X since July 2023) began removing verification status for users of public interest, causing a controversy among Twitter users. The website's system was altered, allowing any individual to receive verification for a monthly fee, an act which saw significant criticism.

Background

=Twitter verification=

{{Tweet

| image = Tony La Russa by Gage Skidmore.jpg

| name = Drii10291

| username = Drii10291

| unverified = y

| date = April 19, 2009

| text = Lost 2 out of 3, but we made it out of Chicago without one drunk driving incident or dead pitcher... I'd call that an I-55 series

| reference = {{Cite web |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-VCDB-1978 |title=La Russa's Twitter Suit Brings Impersonation Policy To Light |date=June 4, 2009 |last=Austin |first=Scott |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=March 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314170836/https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-VCDB-1978 |url-status=live }}

| left = y

}}

In May 2009, then-manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, Tony La Russa, sued Twitter after an account on the service impersonated him, alleging Twitter abetted in defaming his likeness.{{Cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/white-sox-twitter-check/ |title=A former White Sox manager's connection to Twitter's verification check mark history |date=April 20, 2023 |last=Harris |first=Marshall |publisher=CBS News |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422165611/https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/white-sox-twitter-check/ |url-status=live }} The lawsuit included the feed of @TonyLaRussa, a Twitter account not owned by La Russa, with the first tweet in the feed referencing the deaths of Cardinals pitchers Darryl Kile and Josh Hancock. In response, Twitter introduced a verification system known as "Verified Accounts", and settled the lawsuit with La Russa.{{Cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/tony-la-russa-twitter-lawsuit-63155/ |title=Tony La Russa Twitter lawsuit settled |date=April 23, 2023 |last=Gardner |first=Eriq |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=February 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201103509/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/tony-la-russa-twitter-lawsuit-63155/ |url-status=live }} In a blog post titled, "Not Playing Ball", then-CEO Biz Stone wrote that Twitter "[recognizes] an opportunity to improve [its] user experience". The blog post provides an image of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s emergency account with a verification checkmark beside its name while naming other institutions and people that could receive the checkmark, such as well-known artists and athletes.{{Cite web |url=https://blog.twitter.com/official/en_us/a/2009/not-playing-ball.html |title=Not Playing Ball |date=June 6, 2009 |last=Stone |first=Biz |author-link=Biz Stone |publisher=Twitter Blog |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427151225/https://blog.twitter.com/official/en_us/a/2009/not-playing-ball.html |url-status=live }} Within days, notable individuals such as actor Ashton Kutcher and talk show host Oprah Winfrey received a blue checkmark.{{Cite web |url=https://mashable.com/archive/twitter-verified-accounts-2 |title=Twitter Launches Verified Accounts |date=June 11, 2009 |last=Cashmore |first=Pete |website=Mashable |author-link=Pete Cashmore |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=December 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221225131813/https://mashable.com/archive/twitter-verified-accounts-2 |url-status=live }}

In 2010, Twitter opened up verification to all users, but shut down public verification after it became inundated with requests. According to Andy Cohn, who attempted to get the Twitter account for The Fader verified in 2012, only accounts who faced repeated impersonation attempts or those who spent at least {{USD|15000}} on advertisements in the last three months were eligible for verification; an impersonator of Wendi Deng Murdoch—then businessman Rupert Murdoch's wife—was able to get verified regardless.{{Cite web |url=https://adage.com/article/digital/a-twitter-verified-account-buy-ads/231984 |title=One Way to Get a Twitter 'Verified Account': Buy Ads |date=January 10, 2012 |last=Delo |first=Cotton |work=Ad Age |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=February 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210208221027/https://adage.com/article/digital/a-twitter-verified-account-buy-ads/231984 |url-status=live }} Twitter opened up verification to all users once again in July 2016, but reserved that "verification does not equal endorsement".{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/how-to-get-verified-twitter-uk-account-blue-tick |title=Twitter's verification is open to all. Here's how to get a blue tick |date=July 20, 2016 |last=Burgess |first=Matt |magazine=Wired |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427150245/https://www.wired.co.uk/article/how-to-get-verified-twitter-uk-account-blue-tick |url-status=live }}

In November 2016, Twitter suspended prominent white nationalist Richard B. Spencer from the platform, along with several other alt-right figures. Spencer's account was then reinstated in December, with his verification status remaining intact.{{Cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2016/12/12/twitter-reinstates-white-nationalist-richard-spencer/95327236/ |title=Twitter reinstates white nationalist Richard Spencer |date=December 12, 2016 |last1=Guynn |first1=Jessica |last2=Molina |first2=Brett |work=USA Today |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=August 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801214440/https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2016/12/12/twitter-reinstates-white-nationalist-richard-spencer/95327236/ |url-status=live }} Twitter faced backlash in November 2017 when it verified the account of Jason Kessler, a neo-Nazi and white supremacist. The backlash forced Twitter to pause its verification program.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/09/technology/jason-kessler-twitter-verification.html |title=Twitter, Facing Another Uproar, Pauses Its Verification Process |date=November 9, 2017 |last=Bowles |first=Nellie |work=The New York Times |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416055131/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/09/technology/jason-kessler-twitter-verification.html |url-status=live }} Several days later, Twitter removed Spencer and Kessler's verification statuses.{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2017/11/15/twitter-unverifies-prominent-white-nationalists-saying-check-marks-were-not-meant-as-endorsements/ |title=Twitter was slammed for verifying a white nationalist. It just took away his blue check mark. |date=November 16, 2016 |last=Rosenberg |first=Eli |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=March 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314172050/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2017/11/15/twitter-unverifies-prominent-white-nationalists-saying-check-marks-were-not-meant-as-endorsements/ |url-status=live }} Likewise, Twitter had removed verification from Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos for violating its policies in January, signaling Twitter verification implied endorsement.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/10/16631774/twitter-verification-kessler-milo-abuse |title=Twitter's verification program was a mess from the start |date=November 10, 2017 |last=Newton |first=Casey |author-link=Casey Newton |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=December 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208155227/http://www.theverge.com/2017/11/10/16631774/twitter-verification-kessler-milo-abuse |url-status=live }} Despite a lack of public verification, Twitter continued to verify accounts that provided credible information about the COVID-19 pandemic and labeled candidates in the 2018 United States elections and the 2020 United States presidential election.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/20/22435770/twitter-public-verification-program-launch-2021-pronouns-profile |title=Twitter is letting anyone apply for verification for the first time since 2017 |date=May 20, 2021 |last1=Porter |first1=Jon |last2=Peters |first2=Jay |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=December 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221204232520/https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/20/22435770/twitter-public-verification-program-launch-2021-pronouns-profile |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/12/21011960/twitter-election-labels-2020-candidates-house-senate-gubernatorial-races |title=Twitter is bringing back labels for US election candidates |date=December 12, 2019 |last=Peters |first=Jay |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=December 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221201183558/https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/12/21011960/twitter-election-labels-2020-candidates-house-senate-gubernatorial-races |url-status=live }} Twitter reintroduced public verification in May 2021, with updated guidelines in January 2021 requiring verified accounts to have a verified email address or phone number, and stating that users may lose their blue checkmark for violating Twitter's rules. The announcement came alongside a new label for automated or bot accounts and deceased users.

=Twitter Blue=

In June 2021, Twitter announced Twitter Blue, a subscription service granting users the ability to undo tweets before they're sent, grouping saved tweets, a "reader mode" to view replied tweets in quicker succession, and various color themes, alongside dedicated customer support.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/3/22464291/twitter-blue-subscription-service-canada-australia-undo-reader-mode |title=Twitter may be working on Twitter Blue, a subscription service that would cost $2.99 per month |date=June 3, 2021 |last=Lyons |first=Kim |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=March 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230319064541/https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/3/22464291/twitter-blue-subscription-service-canada-australia-undo-reader-mode |url-status=live }} Launching at an introductory price of {{USD|2.99}} per month, the service increased in price in July 2022 to {{USD|4.99}} a month,{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/28/23283166/twitter-blue-subscription-price-hike-4-99 |title=The Twitter Blue subscription is getting more expensive |date=July 28, 2022 |last=Lawler |first=Richard |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=February 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223134747/https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/28/23283166/twitter-blue-subscription-price-hike-4-99 |url-status=live }} with Twitter Blue subscribers receiving the ability to edit tweets later on.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/01/technology/twitter-edit-button.html |title=Twitter Unveils an Edit Button, Finally |date=September 1, 2022 |last=Conger |first=Kate |work=The New York Times |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406231902/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/01/technology/twitter-edit-button.html |url-status=live }}

=Acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk=

File:Elon Musk Royal Society (crop2).jpg (pictured) acquired Twitter.]]

In June 2009, business magnate Elon Musk joined Twitter, and has held an interest in the site. Musk's tweets, ranging from adoration to repudiation, have regarded the site at times. Following the January 6 United States Capitol attack and Twitter's suspension of then-president Donald Trump, Musk began tweeting about free speech at a more frequent rate, and focused on spam accounts more heavily.{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2022/elon-musks-tweets/ |title=Elon Musk's 19,000 tweets reveal his complicated relationship with Twitter |last1=Chong |first1=Linda |last2=Lerman |first2=Rachel |last3=Merrill |first3=Jeremy |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=March 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329103737/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2022/elon-musks-tweets/ |url-status=live }} Musk became the company's largest shareholder in April 2022 with the purchase of {{USD|3.7}} billion shares of Twitter, or 9.2% of the company's stock volume, ahead of mutual fund company The Vanguard Group's 8.8% stake.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/04/technology/elon-musk-twitter.html |title=Elon Musk becomes Twitter's largest shareholder. |date=April 4, 2022 |last1=Isaac |first1=Mike |last2=Hirsch |first2=Lauren |work=The New York Times |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404120503/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/04/technology/elon-musk-twitter.html |url-status=live }} According to The Washington Post, prompted by the suspensions of conservative Christian satire website The Babylon Bee and Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson, Musk proposed an acquisition of Twitter on April 14.{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/22/elon-musk-twitter-content-moderations/ |title=Musk's 'free speech' agenda dismantles safety work at Twitter, insiders say |date=November 22, 2022 |last1=Zakrzewski |first1=Cat |last2=Siddiqui |first2=Faiz |last3=Menn |first3=Joseph |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=March 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326081854/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/22/elon-musk-twitter-content-moderations/ |url-status=live }} On October 27, 2022, Musk acquired Twitter for {{USD|44}} billion, following a legal battle with the company.{{Cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-business-san-francisco-ee1e283ff873813524ff21b0a7751b47 |title=AP sources: Musk in control of Twitter, ousts top executives |date=October 27, 2022 |last1=Ortutay |first1=Barbara |last2=Krisher |first2=Tom |last3=O'Brien |first3=Matt |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422225734/https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-business-san-francisco-ee1e283ff873813524ff21b0a7751b47 |url-status=live }}

Initial implementation of paid verification

=Announcement=

In October 2022, Casey Newton of Platformer reported that executives at Twitter began discussing the possibility of users being forced to pay for Twitter Blue in order to keep their verification status.{{Cite web |url=https://www.platformer.news/p/elons-first-big-move-pay-to-remain |title=Elon's first big move: pay to remain verified on Twitter |date=October 30, 2022 |last=Newton |first=Casey |author-link=Casey Newton |work=Platformer |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422224900/https://www.platformer.news/p/elons-first-big-move-pay-to-remain |url-status=live }} Musk publicly announced that verification was "being revamped right now" after Newton's article; according to The Verge, Twitter planned to increase the price of Twitter Blue from {{USD|4.99}} per month to {{USD|19.99}} per month. Users would have had 90 days to subscribe or face losing their verification status, and employees were told to implement paid verification by November 9 or risk getting fired.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/30/23431931/twitter-paid-verification-elon-musk-blue-monthly-subscription |title=Twitter is planning to start charging soon for verification |date=October 30, 2022 |last=Heath |first=Alex |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=December 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221224195748/https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/30/23431931/twitter-paid-verification-elon-musk-blue-monthly-subscription |url-status=live }} Upon the news that Twitter Blue would cost {{USD|19.99}} per month, author Stephen King expressed displeasure towards Twitter and stated that he would leave. Musk, replying to King's tweet, proposed that the service should cost {{USD|7.99}} instead. In a separate tweet, Musk wrote that Twitter Blue subscribers would receive priority in replies, mentions, and search, fewer advertisements, and longer audio and video.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/1/23435092/elon-musk-twitter-blue-verification-cost-ads-search |title=Elon Musk will let you pay $8 to be a verified 'lord' on Twitter |last1=Clark |first1=Mitchell |last2=Peters |first2=Jay |work=The Verge |date=November 2022 |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421203113/https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/1/23435092/elon-musk-twitter-blue-verification-cost-ads-search |url-status=live }}

Although paid verification was expected to be launched by November 7, the reintroduction of Twitter Blue was delayed until after the 2022 United States elections on November 9, according to a memo obtained by The New York Times.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/6/23443520/twitter-delaying-launch-blue-with-verification-after-midterm-elections-elon-musk |title=Twitter's delaying the launch of Blue with verification until after the elections |date=November 6, 2023 |last=Roth |first=Emma |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=March 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330144126/https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/6/23443520/twitter-delaying-launch-blue-with-verification-after-midterm-elections-elon-musk |url-status=live }} The announcement of paid verification resulted in several accounts facetiously impersonating Musk, such as those of comedians Kathy Griffin and Sarah Silverman, being suspended. In response, Musk announced that impersonators using Twitter Blue "will be permanently suspended".{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/6/23443871/elon-musk-twitter-permaban-impersonation-parody |title=Elon Musk's response to fake verified Elon Twitter accounts: a new permanent ban policy for impersonation |date=November 6, 2022 |last=Lawler |first=Richard |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=March 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324205113/https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/6/23443871/elon-musk-twitter-permaban-impersonation-parody |url-status=live }} An "official" label was announced on November 8 for notable accounts.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/8/23448184/twitter-verification-official-checkmark-gray-blue |title=Twitter's solution for ruining verification is another check mark |date=November 8, 2022 |last=Peters |first=Jay |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=March 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324205113/https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/8/23448184/twitter-verification-official-checkmark-gray-blue |url-status=live }} Hours after the label began rolling out, Musk tweeted that he "killed" the label.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/9/23449422/elon-musk-twitter-blue-official-verified-gray-checks-disappear |title=Twitter's new double-check verification disappears, Elon Musk says he 'killed it' |date=November 9, 2022 |last=Sato |first=Mia |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=November 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221109174212/https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/9/23449422/elon-musk-twitter-blue-official-verified-gray-checks-disappear |url-status=live }}

=Impersonation attempts=

Despite a seven-page document written by Twitter's content moderation team,{{Cite podcast |title=Going Down With the Censorships |website=This American Life |date=April 21, 2023 |url=https://www.thisamericanlife.org/797/what-i-was-thinking-as-we-were-sinking/act-two-3 |access-date=April 30, 2023 |archive-date=April 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430183612/https://www.thisamericanlife.org/797/what-i-was-thinking-as-we-were-sinking/act-two-3 |url-status=live |last=Newton |first=Casey |author-link=Casey Newton}} on November 9, Twitter Blue launched with verification exclusively on iOS.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/9/23448317/elon-musk-twitter-blue-verification-live-ios |title=Elon Musk's Twitter Blue with verification is now live |date=November 9, 2022 |last=Peters |first=Jay |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=March 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330163243/https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/9/23448317/elon-musk-twitter-blue-verification-live-ios |url-status=live }} Upon introducing paid verification, various individuals in sports Twitter were impersonated, such as sports writer Adam Schefter and basketball player LeBron James, with tweets announcing the supposed ousting of Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels or James' trade from the Los Angeles Lakers, respectively.{{Cite web |url=https://www.sbnation.com/2022/11/9/23450014/sports-twitter-parody-accounts-elon-musk |title=Sports Twitter is now a verified hellhole thanks to Elon Musk |date=November 9, 2022 |last=Dator |first=James |work=SB Nation |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=December 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223204431/https://www.sbnation.com/2022/11/9/23450014/sports-twitter-parody-accounts-elon-musk |url-status=live }} As impersonation accounts began appearing for Nintendo and Tesla—the latter being owned by Musk—the official label returned.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/10/23452625/twitter-verified-official-blue-gray-check |title=Twitter reactivated the 'official' gray check for accounts that are actually verified |date=November 10, 2022 |last=Lopatto |first=Elizabeth |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404145101/https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/10/23452625/twitter-verified-official-blue-gray-check |url-status=live }} Other individuals and companies impersonated include former president Donald Trump, video game company Valve, and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/9/23450289/twitter-impersonators-official-mario-musk-jesus-valve |title=Mario flipped off Twitter for nearly two hours with the blessing of Musk's 'verification' |date=November 9, 2022 |last=Hollister |first=Sean |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422224605/https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/9/23450289/twitter-impersonators-official-mario-musk-jesus-valve |url-status=live }} One account impersonating the beverage corporation PepsiCo praised the superiority of Coca-Cola.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/11/technology/twitter-blue-fake-accounts.html |title=Twitter Users Create Havoc by Impersonating Brands |date=November 10, 2022 |last1=Mac |first1=Ryan |last2=Mullin |first2=Benjamin |last3=Conger |first3=Kate |last4=Isaac |first4=Mike |work=The New York Times |access-date=April 23, 2022 |archive-date=November 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221111221530/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/11/technology/twitter-blue-fake-accounts.html |url-status=live }} Twitter paused signups for Twitter Blue on November 11; according to a Slack message obtained by Platformer reporter Zoë Schiffer, the company paused subscriptions to deal with impersonation attempts.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/11/23452985/twitter-blue-subscription-service-unavailable-error-message |title=Twitter Blue signups disappear a day after fakes and mayhem |date=November 11, 2022 |last=Vincent |first=James |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=March 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324002352/https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/11/23452985/twitter-blue-subscription-service-unavailable-error-message |url-status=live }} Musk believed that impersonation would be resolved if Apple handed over the credit card information of Twitter Blue subscribers; then head of trust and safety Yoel Roth explained that Apple would not oblige to such a request.

The Washington Post published a report on November 11 detailing how reporter Geoffrey Fowler was, with permission from United States senator Ed Markey, impersonating a U.S. senator, noting that a bug in Twitter's iOS app made the checkmarks for Markey's official account and the impersonation account virtually indistinguishable.{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/11/twitter-blue-checkmark/ |title=We got Twitter 'verified' in minutes posing as a comedian and a senator |date=November 11, 2022 |last=Fowler |first=Geoffrey |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=March 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331232138/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/11/twitter-blue-checkmark/ |url-status=live }} Markey, who has publicly refuted the safety of Tesla's self-driving technology, publicly debated with Musk and stated that Congress would take action against Twitter if Musk did not.{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/13/elon-musk-markey-twitter-tesla/ |title=Sen. Edward Markey and Musk exchange barbs on impersonation scandal |date=November 13, 2022 |last=Zeitchik |first=Steven |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=March 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330073051/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/13/elon-musk-markey-twitter-tesla/ |url-status=live }}

==Eli Lilly and Company tweet==

{{Tweet

| image = Eli Lilly and Company.svg

| name = Eli Lilly and Company

| username = EliLillyandCo

| unverified = y

| date = November 10, 2022

| text = We are excited to announce insulin is free now.

| reference = {{Cite web |url=https://gizmodo.com/15-fake-twitter-accounts-elon-musk-chaos-verification-1849771209 |title=15 Fake Verified Twitter Accounts Causing Absolute Chaos Right Now |date=November 10, 2022 |work=Gizmodo |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=March 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329185225/https://gizmodo.com/15-fake-twitter-accounts-elon-musk-chaos-verification-1849771209 |url-status=live }}

| left = y

}}

In August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act passed, requiring companies to cap the price of insulin at {{USD|35}} per month for Medicare.{{Cite web |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katienotopoulos/eli-lilly-insulin-price-twitter-blue-prank |title=Eli Lilly Reduced The Price Of Insulin To $35 Per Month, And This Guy Who Trolled The Company Can Take Some Credit |date=March 1, 2023 |last=Notopoulos |first=Katie |work=BuzzFeed News |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421075447/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katienotopoulos/eli-lilly-insulin-price-twitter-blue-prank |url-status=live }} On November 10, a Twitter account impersonating the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company—one of the three largest manufacturers of insulin—posted a tweet stating that insulin would be made free.{{Cite web |url=https://gizmodo.com/twitter-eli-lilly-elon-musk-insulin-1849779323 |title=How Much Did Twitter's Verification Chaos Cost Insulin Maker Eli Lilly and Twitter Itself? |date=November 14, 2022 |last=Barr |first=Kyle |work=Gizmodo |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230411192926/https://gizmodo.com/twitter-eli-lilly-elon-musk-insulin-1849779323 |url-status=live }} According to The Washington Post, Twitter failed to respond to the company for several hours. The incident resulted in Eli Lilly pulling advertisements from Twitter. United States senator Bernie Sanders used the tweet to highlight the price of insulin as other users began creating satirical accounts jovially apologizing for making insulin free, with one such account writing, "Humalog is now $400. We can do this whenever we want and there's nothing you can do about it".{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/14/twitter-fake-eli-lilly/ |title=A fake tweet sparked panic at Eli Lilly and may have cost Twitter millions |date=November 14, 2022 |last=Harwell |first=Drew |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=November 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115000423/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/14/twitter-fake-eli-lilly/ |url-status=live }}

The identity of the user who posted the tweet remained unknown until November 22, when Sean Morrow, a 34-year-old writer for the media organization More Perfect Union, admitted to operating the account and writing the tweet. In a video, Morrow stated that he used the account of the Mothman running for the United States Senate for West Virginia, and put that the account was a parody in its biography. Morrow took the video to detail the history of insulin manufacturing and the monopolization of the insulin industry. Eli Lilly further lowered the price of insulin in March 2023.

=Reintroduction of verification=

On November 25, Musk announced that verification would be split into separate checkmarks for companies (in gold), government institutions (in gray), with all other entities retaining their blue checkmarks, as early as December 2. A separate tweet also stated that individuals could have a secondary logo for any organizations they may be a part of.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/25/23477550/twitter-manual-verification-blue-checkmark-gold-grey |title=Elon Musk says Twitter will begin manually authenticating Blue, Grey, and Gold accounts as soon as next week |date=November 25, 2022 |last=Weatherbed |first=Jess |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=March 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324114629/https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/25/23477550/twitter-manual-verification-blue-checkmark-gold-grey |url-status=live }} Continuing from Musk's idea of company employees receiving an icon for their employers, Twitter announced Blue for Business on December 19. In spite of an official release, venture capital firm Craft Ventures appeared to already have the icons.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/19/23517733/twitter-blue-for-business-brands-affiliation-gray-checkmark-badge |title=Twitter announces 'Blue for Business' to help identify brands and their employees |date=December 19, 2022 |last1=Clark |first1=Mitchell |last2=Peters |first2=Jay |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=March 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330202426/https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/19/23517733/twitter-blue-for-business-brands-affiliation-gray-checkmark-badge |url-status=live }}

The rollout of government labels resulted in the accounts of Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and minister of foreign affairs Anniken Huitfeldt being labeled as affiliated with Nigeria.{{Cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/twitter-norway/norway-asks-twitter-to-remove-nigeria-labels-idUKL1N3330N4 |title=Norway asks Twitter to remove Nigeria labels |date=December 13, 2022 |publisher=Reuters |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424050319/https://www.reuters.com/article/twitter-norway/norway-asks-twitter-to-remove-nigeria-labels-idUKL1N3330N4 |url-status=live }} On January 5, Fowler was once again able to impersonate Markey, with Barreto Fetterman, senator John Fetterman's wife, thanking the impersonator rather than Markey himself. The report defied Musk's claim that Twitter Blue subscribers would be manually verified and shows how impersonators still persist on the platform despite phone number verification and wait times.{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/01/05/twitter-blue-verification/ |title=Twitter said it fixed 'verification.' So I impersonated a senator (again). |date=January 5, 2023 |last=Fowler |first=Geoffrey |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=February 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221173828/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/01/05/twitter-blue-verification/ |url-status=live }}

State-affiliated media label controversy

On April 5, 2023, the Twitter account for National Public Radio (NPR) received a label that it was "state-affiliated", despite the fact it receives less than 1% of its funding from the government; Voice of America (VOA), a state-affiliated media arm of the United States, did not receive a label. NPR CEO John Lansing condemned Twitter for the labeling.{{Cite web |url=https://www.axios.com/2023/04/05/npr-twitter-state-affiliated-media-label |title=NPR CEO blasts Twitter for "US state-affiliated media" label |date=April 5, 2023 |last=Fischer |first=Sara |work=Axios |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421185656/https://www.axios.com/2023/04/05/npr-twitter-state-affiliated-media-label |url-status=live }} A similar label was added to Public Broadcasting Station's (PBS) Twitter account on April 8. According to PBS, the broadcaster has no intention to use its Twitter account after receiving the label.{{Cite web |url=https://www.axios.com/2023/04/12/pbs-twitter-government-funded-label |title=PBS stops tweeting after Musk adds "government-funded" label |date=April 12, 2023 |last=Fischer |first=Sara |work=Axios |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422231853/https://www.axios.com/2023/04/12/pbs-twitter-government-funded-label |url-status=live }} NPR announced it had quit Twitter on April 12 after the label was changed to "government-affiliated".{{Cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/04/12/1169269161/npr-leaves-twitter-government-funded-media-label |title=NPR quits Twitter after being falsely labeled as 'state-affiliated media' |date=April 12, 2023 |last=Folkenflik |first=David |publisher=NPR |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422231851/https://www.npr.org/2023/04/12/1169269161/npr-leaves-twitter-government-funded-media-label |url-status=live }} The decision was a reversal of the company's previous treatment towards NPR, which it cited as an example of a public news organization that is not state-affiliated.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/12/23680394/npr-leaves-twitter-elon-musk-bbc-substack |title=NPR becomes first major news organization to leave Twitter |date=April 12, 2023 |last=Shapiro |first=Ariel |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421202557/https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/12/23680394/npr-leaves-twitter-elon-musk-bbc-substack |url-status=live }} The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) also received a government-affiliated label, but appealed to Musk.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-65226481 |title=Twitter: BBC objects to 'government funded media' label |date=April 10, 2023 |last1=Clayton |first1=James |last2=Durbin |first2=Adam |publisher=BBC |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423045006/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-65226481 |url-status=live }} The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) received a label stating it was "69% government-funded", in apparent reference to the sex position, after Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre told Musk to apply the label. The CBC is 66% government-funded, and stopped tweeting after the incident.{{Cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/04/musk-feuds-with-another-public-broadcaster-labels-cbc-69-government-funded/ |title=Musk labels CBC "69% Government-funded" as more news outlets quit Twitter |date=April 18, 2023 |last=Brodkin |first=Jon |work=Ars Technica |access-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424191227/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/04/musk-feuds-with-another-public-broadcaster-labels-cbc-69-government-funded/ |url-status=live }}

On April 22, Twitter dropped the state-affiliated and government-affiliated labels entirely, including for Russia's RT and China's Xinhua News and China Global Television Network (CGTN). According to Musk, the idea to drop the labels came from author Walter Isaacson.{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/musk-drops-twitter-state-affiliated-government-funded-media-labels-1235591420/ |title=Elon Musk Drops Twitter's 'State-Affiliated' and 'Government-Funded' Media Labels After Backlash |date=April 22, 2023 |last=Spangler |first=Todd |work=Variety |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423025421/https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/musk-drops-twitter-state-affiliated-government-funded-media-labels-1235591420/ |url-status=live }} The removal of the state-affiliated label followed a change in Twitter's algorithm, in which restrictions on accounts belonging to Russian state media were lifted. RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan congratulated Musk on lifting the restrictions on her account.

Verification status removals

=''The New York Times''=

According to internal messages obtained by The Information, Twitter planned to offer verification for businesses for {{USD|1000}} a month, with an additional {{USD|50}} a month for accounts affiliated with the business.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/4/23585612/twitter-gold-checkmark-business-subscription |title=Twitter will let businesses keep their gold checkmarks — for $1,000 per month |date=February 4, 2023 |last=Roth |first=Emma |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=March 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230317210902/https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/4/23585612/twitter-gold-checkmark-business-subscription |url-status=live }} Ahead of the official release of Verification for Organizations, newspaper The New York Times stated that it would not pay for a verification checkmark.{{Cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/new-york-times-says-it-wont-pay-twitter-verified-check-marks-2023-04-02/ |title=New York Times says it won't pay for Twitter verified check mark |date=April 2, 2023 |publisher=Reuters |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420202301/https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/new-york-times-says-it-wont-pay-twitter-verified-check-marks-2023-04-02/ |url-status=live }} In response to a Twitter user who pointed out the newspaper's decision, Musk stated, "Oh ok, we'll take it off then". Musk then called The New York Times hypocritical for charging readers to read its articles.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/3/23667751/twitter-legacy-blue-checkmark-wind-down-chaos |title=Twitter had a very messy weekend |date=April 3, 2023 |last=Porter |first=Jon |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422141524/https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/3/23667751/twitter-legacy-blue-checkmark-wind-down-chaos |url-status=live }} According to The New York Times themselves, the top 10,000 Twitter accounts and top 500 advertisers would be exempt from paying.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/31/23664923/twitter-verification-for-organizations-free-for-most-followed |title=Twitter's $1,000 checkmark will be free for the 10,000 most-followed companies |date=March 31, 2023 |last=Clark |first=Mitchell |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407205754/https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/31/23664923/twitter-verification-for-organizations-free-for-most-followed |url-status=live }}

=Legacy verified accounts=

{{Tweet

|image = Stephen King, Comicon.jpg

|name = Stephen King

|username = StephenKing

|date = April 20, 2023

|text = My Twitter account says I've subscribed to Twitter Blue. I haven't.
My Twitter account says I've given a phone number. I haven't.

|reference = {{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/apr/21/elon-musk-pays-stephen-king-lebron-james-keep-twitter-blue-ticks |title=Elon Musk pays for Stephen King and LeBron James to keep Twitter blue ticks |date=April 21, 2023 |last=Milmo |first=Dan |work=The Guardian |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423011026/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/apr/21/elon-musk-pays-stephen-king-lebron-james-keep-twitter-blue-ticks |url-status=live }}

}}

On March 23, Twitter announced it would remove blue checkmarks from "legacy" verified accounts on April 1, or April Fools' Day.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/23/23654206/twitter-legacy-blue-verified-checkmarks-april-fools-day |title=Twitter claims 'legacy' blue checkmarks will start to disappear on April Fools' Day |date=March 23, 2023 |last1=Peters |first1=Jay |last2=Clark |first2=Mitchell |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422010207/https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/23/23654206/twitter-legacy-blue-verified-checkmarks-april-fools-day |url-status=live }} Twitter subsequently stopped distinguishing Twitter Blue subscribers from legacy verified accounts on April 2.{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/twitter-updates-verified-user-descriptions-paid-blue-check-1235571165/ |title=Elon Musk's Twitter Updates Verified User Descriptions so You Can't Tell Who Paid for a Blue Check-Mark Anymore |date=April 2, 2023 |last=Spangler |first=Todd |work=Variety |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409005213/https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/twitter-updates-verified-user-descriptions-paid-blue-check-1235571165/ |url-status=live }} On April 19, the Twitter Verified account tweeted that, on April 20, legacy verified checkmarks would disappear, in apparent reference to the cannabis slang number 420; Musk had previously tweeted about the April 20 date on April 11.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/19/23690077/twitter-verified-checkmarks-removing-legacy-blue |title=Twitter promises it's really, actually removing legacy blue checks very soon |date=April 19, 2023 |last=Peters |first=Jay |work=The Verge |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419232004/https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/19/23690077/twitter-verified-checkmarks-removing-legacy-blue |url-status=live }}

On April 20, legacy verified accounts lost their blue checkmarks. While some representatives lost verification on their personal accounts, such as Ilhan Omar and Brian Mast, others, such as Marjorie Taylor Greene, still have a blue checkmark on their personal accounts. According to an email obtained by The Washington Post from April 26, members of Congress will lose blue checkmarks on their personal and campaign accounts in May.{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/04/28/twitter-asks-congressional-campaigns-pay-up-verification/ |title=Twitter asks congressional campaigns to pay up for verification |date=April 28, 2023 |last=Lima |first=Cristiano |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=April 28, 2023}} Actress Halle Berry posted a meme commemorating the loss of her blue checkmark. Several figures, such as Stephen King, noted that they had not paid for verification and—in King's case—had not added a phone number to their account. Musk later clarified that he was "paying for a few [subscriptions] personally", such as for actor William Shatner, LeBron James, and King. Pope Francis' blue checkmark was removed before being replaced by a gray checkmark; as the head of the Catholic Church, the Pope is the sovereign of Vatican City.{{Cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/pope-loses-verified-status-twitter-us-basketball-star-lebron-james-remains-2023-04-21/ |title=Pope Francis, Ronaldo lose Twitter verified blue status, others keep it |date=April 21, 2023 |last=Malik |first=Yuvraj |publisher=Reuters |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423050348/https://www.reuters.com/technology/pope-loses-verified-status-twitter-us-basketball-star-lebron-james-remains-2023-04-21/ |url-status=live }} While some users, such as Eliot Higgins of Bellingcat appear to have been given verification for free, others, such as actor Ryan Reynolds—whose Twitter account has 21 million followers—do not.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-65365366 |title=Twitter's blue tick restored to high profile accounts |date=April 23, 2023 |last=Kleinman |first=Zoe |publisher=BBC |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423100313/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-65365366 |url-status=live }} NBC News noted that legacy verified accounts still appeared in search results filtering for just verified users.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/twitter-blue-checks-legacy-verification-removed-rcna80539 |title=Twitter begins removing legacy verified check marks |date=April 20, 2023 |last1=Ingram |first1=David |last2=Yang |first2=Angela |publisher=NBC News |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420183109/https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/twitter-blue-checks-legacy-verification-removed-rcna80539 |url-status=live }} By April 23, fewer than 500 users had signed up for Twitter Blue out of the 400,000 legacy verified accounts.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/apr/23/twitter-restores-blue-tick-free-of-charge-to-celebrities-in-u-turn |title=Twitter restores 'blue tick' free of charge to celebrities in U-turn |date=April 23, 2023 |last=Hern |first=Alex |work=The Guardian |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423192201/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/apr/23/twitter-restores-blue-tick-free-of-charge-to-celebrities-in-u-turn |url-status=live }} The far-right political party Britain First received a gold checkmark, signifying that it was a business, while its leader, Paul Golding, has a blue checkmark.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/apr/24/far-right-britain-first-twitter-gold-tick |title=Far-right Britain First party given Twitter gold tick |date=April 24, 2023 |last=Milmo |first=Dan |work=The Guardian |access-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424165041/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/apr/24/far-right-britain-first-twitter-gold-tick |url-status=live }} According to researcher Nima Owji, Twitter will allow users who have received Twitter Blue for free to cancel their subscription.{{Cite web |url=https://www.engadget.com/twitter-may-soon-tell-users-with-a-free-blue-subscription-how-to-cancel-it-200455042.html |title=Twitter may soon tell users with a free Blue subscription how to cancel it |date=April 26, 2023 |last=Holt |first=Kris |publisher=Engadget |access-date=April 26, 2023 |archive-date=April 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426204448/https://www.engadget.com/twitter-may-soon-tell-users-with-a-free-blue-subscription-how-to-cancel-it-200455042.html |url-status=live }}

The Washington Post noted that several deceased individuals, such as basketball player Kobe Bryant, actor Chadwick Boseman, celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, and Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington{{Cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-24/elon-musk-verifies-dead-celebrities-on-twitter-blue-tick/102258586 |title=Twitter appears to give blue tick verification to dead users including celebrities Kobe Bryant, Chadwick Boseman and Chester Bennington |date=April 23, 2023 |last=Rawling |first=Caitlin |publisher=ABC News |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424050318/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-24/elon-musk-verifies-dead-celebrities-on-twitter-blue-tick/102258586 |url-status=live }} had a blue checkmark. Other figures with blue checkmarks include singer Michael Jackson, rapper Mac Miller, and senator John McCain. Many users noticed that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi had a blue checkmark, despite being assassinated in 2018 by the government of Saudi Arabia. Khashoggi's checkmark resulted in an outcry from users of the site. The blue checkmark does not state whether or not it has been gifted or bought.{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/04/23/twitter-blue-dead-celebrities/ |title=These celebrities 'subscribed to Twitter Blue.' Except they're dead. |date=April 23, 2023 |last1=Timsit |first1=Annabelle |last2=Iati |first2=Marisa |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423201050/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/04/23/twitter-blue-dead-celebrities/ |url-status=live }}

==Further impersonation attempts==

Coinciding with the 2023 Sudan conflict, an account posing as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claimed that its leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, died in the conflict, as the legitimate RSF Twitter account was unverified.{{Cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/twitter-blue-fake-account-sudan-misinformation/ |title=A Twitter Blue Account Is Spreading Dangerous Misinformation About the Sudan Conflict |date=April 21, 2023 |last=Champion |first=Matthew |work=Vice |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422224237/https://www.vice.com/en/article/93kyj5/twitter-blue-fake-account-sudan-misinformation |url-status=live }} Other tweets made by impersonators include an account posing as politician Hillary Clinton declaring a supposed presidential bid in 2024, author J.K. Rowling apologizing for comments she made against transgender people, Pope Francis stating there are "at least three genders", Florida governor Ron DeSandis{{sic}} calling political donor Kent Sturmon a pedophile, singer Olivia Rodrigo taking credit for a fan-fiction post on Wattpad, and skater Tony Hawk talking about building a skate park in Des Moines, Iowa. Security researcher John Scott-Railton noted a potential rise in impersonation accounts of government agencies, such as Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) branches and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, as their Twitter accounts are unverified.{{Cite web |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/twitter-impersonators-elon-musk-verification-system-1234720892/ |title=Impersonators Run Wild on Twitter Thanks to Sabotaged Verification System |date=April 21, 2023 |last=Klee |first=Miles |work=Rolling Stone |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422120052/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/twitter-impersonators-elon-musk-verification-system-1234720892/ |url-status=live }} One tweet, supposedly from cuisine publication The New York Times Cooking, attracted attention for sharing a meme recipe of a hand-shaped M&M cookie atop Greek salad, dubbed "King's Hand".{{Cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/23693433/twitter-blue-check-stephen-king-lebron-james-elon-musk |title=Twitter's de-verification debacle, explained |date=April 21, 2023 |last=Carpenter |first=Nicole |work=Polygon |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422113708/https://www.polygon.com/23693433/twitter-blue-check-stephen-king-lebron-james-elon-musk |url-status=live }} Comedian Kelly Carlin claimed her deceased father—comedian George Carlin, for whom she runs an account—was being impersonated.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/26/technology/twitter-verification-problems.html |title=Tweets Become Harder to Believe as Labels Change Meaning |date=April 26, 2023 |last1=Lee Myers |first1=Steven |last2=Frenkel |first2=Sheera |last3=Hsu |first3=Tiffany |work=The New York Times |access-date=April 26, 2023 |archive-date=April 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426213358/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/26/technology/twitter-verification-problems.html |url-status=live }} In a separate instance of impersonation, a parody account for Disney Junior in the United Kingdom was verified as a business. The account, which repeatedly used racial slurs and claimed that the adult animated series South Park and Family Guy would appear on Disney Junior, was suspended after Disney found the account.{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2023/digital/global/twitter-fake-disney-junior-gold-checkmark-verification-1235592264/ |title=Twitter Gave a Fake Disney Junior Account That Uses Racial Slurs a Gold Checkmark Verification |date=April 24, 2023 |last=Yossman |first=K.J. |work=Variety |access-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424110632/https://variety.com/2023/digital/global/twitter-fake-disney-junior-gold-checkmark-verification-1235592264/ |url-status=live }}

The removal of blue checkmarks has had a political impact. Taking advantage of the removal of the blue checkmarks for the Twitter accounts for Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot, the Chicago Department of Transportation, and the Illinois Department of Transportation, false accounts began appearing claiming that the major expressway Lake Shore Drive would close next month for private traffic.{{Cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/twitter-elon-musk-blue-checkmark-celebrities-544cfd66ed3a62f51a8a80c20e11ac5b |title=Confusion as Musk's Twitter yanks blue checks from agencies |date=April 21, 2023 |last1=O'Brien |first1=Matt |last2=Foody |first2=Kathleen |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422073253/https://apnews.com/article/twitter-elon-musk-blue-checkmark-celebrities-544cfd66ed3a62f51a8a80c20e11ac5b |url-status=live }} Similarly, an impostor account appeared after the New York City Government account tweeted that it was official.{{Cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/21/tech/twitter-verification-chaos/index.html |title=Twitter descends into chaos as news outlets and brands lose verification |date=April 21, 2023 |last=Fung |first=Brian |publisher=CNN |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422200843/https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/21/tech/twitter-verification-chaos/index.html |url-status=live }} New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez warned of potential harm in misinformation after the encounter. At least eleven accounts claiming to be the Los Angeles Police Department appeared in the wake of the removal of blue checkmarks. An account claiming to be New York City mayor Eric Adams promised to create a Department of Traffic and Parking Enforcement while slashing funding for the New York City Police Department; the operator of the account was later discovered to be Josh Boerman, co-host of the podcast The Worst of All Possible Worlds, who claimed to have made the account in jest. Election offices for four of the most populous counties in the United States—Cook County, Illinois, Harris County, Texas, Maricopa County, Arizona, and San Diego County, California—were unverified. In particular, Maricopa County has been targeted by conspiracy theorists for alleged irregularities in how the county voted in the 2020 presidential election; the county's ballots were audited by Republicans in 2021, finding no such claims of voter fraud.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/24/us/arizona-election-review-trump-biden.html |title=Republican Review of Arizona Vote Fails to Show Stolen Election |date=September 24, 2021 |last1=Healy |first1=Jack |last2=Wines |first2=Michael |last3=Corasaniti |first3=Nick |work=The New York Times |access-date=May 7, 2023 |archive-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924101013/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/24/us/arizona-election-review-trump-biden.html |url-status=live }} Ahead of the 2023 Philadelphia mayoral election and the Pennsylvania primary election, the account for the Philadelphia City Commissioners was unverified, leading to several verified accounts impersonating the commissioners.{{Cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/twitter-verification-blue-check-elections-elon-musk-5df36ed183d16ec3bf99446e6827bcdd |title=New Twitter rules expose election offices to spoof accounts |date=May 7, 2023 |last=Swenson |first=Ali |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=May 7, 2023 |archive-date=May 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230506221542/https://apnews.com/article/twitter-verification-blue-check-elections-elon-musk-5df36ed183d16ec3bf99446e6827bcdd |url-status=live }}

On May 22, an account aligned with the QAnon conspiracy theory posted an image generated by artificial intelligence that seemingly depicted an explosion near the Pentagon. The fake image was amplified by the Russian propaganda television network RT and the far-right blog Zero Hedge. A verified account posing as Bloomberg News then posted the claim accompanied by several other verified accounts. The S&P 500 fell sharply as a result of the news before rebounding.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/misinformation/fake-picture-explosion-pentagon-spooks-twitter-rcna85659 |title=Fake picture of explosion at Pentagon spooks Twitter |date=May 22, 2023 |last=Collins |first=Ben |publisher=NBC News |access-date=May 23, 2023}}{{Cite web |last=McCarthy |first=Bill |date=2023-05-22 |title=Fake Pentagon explosion image spreads online |url=https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.33FV4BU |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=Agence France-Presse |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Kristensen |first=Nikolaj |date=May 26, 2023 |title=The perfect storm of AI fakes and paid Twitter verification |url=https://www.logicallyfacts.com/en/article/ai-fakes-and-paid-twitter-verification |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=Logically |language=en}} Several Indian news outlets, including Zee News and Republic TV, aired false reports about the supposed explosion.{{Cite web |last=Thete |first=Rujuta |date=2023-05-23 |title=Media Outlets Share AI-Generated Image as a Real Explosion Near USA's Pentagon |url=https://www.thequint.com/news/webqoof/ai-generated-image-of-an-explosion-near-pentagon-shared-as-real-fact-check |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=The Quint |language=en}}

= Censorship =

Twitter Blue Checkmarks have been removed or suspended from verified accounts as a form of censorship.

class="wikitable sortable sticky-header"
Individual/account !Description !Date !Duration !style=width:50%\|Reason for suspension
Laura Loomer \|American political activist, conspiracy theorist and Internet personality \|27 December 2024 \| \|Opposition to H-1B visas led to a loss of a blue check mark.{{Cite web \|date=2024-12-27 \|title=MAGA civil war ramps up as Laura Loomer lays into Musk — and loses her blue check \|url=https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/laura-loomer-elon-musk-trump-maga-b2670603.html \|access-date=2025-01-24 \|website=The Independent \|language=en}} Gavin Mario Wax, ConservativePAC, and Owen Shroyer also affected.{{Cite news \|title=Elon Musk’s Newest Critics on X Just Paid the Price \|url=https://newrepublic.com/post/189683/elon-musk-critics-x-immigration-paid-price-verification \|access-date=2025-01-24 \|work=The New Republic \|issn=0028-6583}}

class="wikitable sortable sticky-header"

Individual/account

!Description

!Date

!Duration

!style=width:50%|Reason for suspension

Laura Loomer

|American political activist, conspiracy theorist and Internet personality

|27 December 2024

|Opposition to H-1B visas led to a loss of a blue check mark.{{Cite web |date=2024-12-27 |title=MAGA civil war ramps up as Laura Loomer lays into Musk — and loses her blue check |url=https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/laura-loomer-elon-musk-trump-maga-b2670603.html |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=The Independent |language=en}} Gavin Mario Wax, ConservativePAC, and Owen Shroyer also affected.{{Cite news |title=Elon Musk’s Newest Critics on X Just Paid the Price |url=https://newrepublic.com/post/189683/elon-musk-critics-x-immigration-paid-price-verification |access-date=2025-01-24 |work=The New Republic |issn=0028-6583}}

Reactions

=Individuals=

The removal of the blue checkmark and Twitter Blue have sparked controversy. Actress Alyssa Milano added to her Twitter profile that she would not be paying for Twitter Blue. The Twitter account for Elmo tweeted that, "Elmo will miss you, little blue check mark". The blue checkmark has also caused crosscurrents between Twitter users, with technology journalist Joanna Stern writing that she "likes editing tweets", and appears to have distanced herself from the blue checkmark. Morning Consult journalist Bobby Blanchard asked Twitter to remove his blue checkmark.{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2023/04/21/elon-musk-celebrity-twitter-blue-checks/ |title=Elon Musk gifts a blue check mark to celebrities who don't want one |date=April 21, 2023 |last1=Chery |first1=Samantha |last2=Selk |first2=Avi |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=April 23, 2023}} Other personalities and entities appeared confused as to why their blue checkmarks appeared despite not subscribing to Twitter Blue, such as journalist Maggie Haberman, actors Ben Schwartz and Elijah Wood, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Twitter account for the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum clarified that it had not paid for Twitter Blue either.{{Cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/04/twitter-verified-fake-disney-account-claims-dead-celebs-subscribe-to-twitter-blue/ |title=Twitter verified fake Disney account, claims dead celebs subscribe to Twitter Blue |date=April 24, 2023 |last=Brodkin |first=Jon |work=Ars Technica |access-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424190129/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/04/twitter-verified-fake-disney-account-claims-dead-celebs-subscribe-to-twitter-blue/ |url-status=live }} Model Chrissy Teigen compared her blue checkmark to the film It Follows (2014) and was able to get hers removed by changing her username, telling speechwriter Jon Favreau. Favreau later stated that he believed Musk was "capricious" in his actions and did not want to be potentially suspended for unverifying his account.{{Cite podcast |host=Lizzie O'Leary |title=Stephen King Is Just as Confused About Blue Checks as You Are |website=Slate |date=April 28, 2023 |url=https://slate.com/podcasts/what-next-tbd/2023/04/twitter-blue-it |access-date=April 29, 2023 |archive-date=April 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230429005537/https://slate.com/podcasts/what-next-tbd/2023/04/twitter-blue-it |url-status=live }} Likewise, stand-up comedian and actor Patton Oswalt changed his username to remove his blue checkmark.{{Cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/twitter-adds-verification-back-accounts-died-1235399754/ |title=Twitter Inexplicably Adds Verification Back to Some Accounts, Including Dead Celebrities |date=April 23, 2023 |last=Chan |first=J. Clara |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423202614/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/twitter-adds-verification-back-accounts-died-1235399754/ |url-status=live }} dril, part of Twitter's secretive list of users to promote and of "Weird Twitter", removed his blue checkmark by changing his display name to "slave to Woke".{{Cite web |url=https://www.engadget.com/twitter-adds-blue-checks-to-accounts-of-dead-celebrities-223749275.html |title=Twitter adds blue checks to accounts of dead celebrities |date=April 23, 2023 |last=Bonifacic |first=Igor |publisher=Engadget |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424050319/https://www.engadget.com/twitter-adds-blue-checks-to-accounts-of-dead-celebrities-223749275.html |url-status=live }} Replying to economist Paul Krugman, who wrote that he did not pay for Twitter Blue, Musk replied with an image of a child crying while eating spaghetti.{{Cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2023/04/23/twitter-restores-blue-check-marks-to-some-big-accounts-but-some-celebrities-dont-want-them/?sh=654a3cf173a1 |title=Twitter Restores Blue Check Marks For Many High-Profile Accounts—But Some Celebrities Don't Want Them |date=April 23, 2023 |last=Dellatto |first=Marisa |work=Forbes |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424050318/https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2023/04/23/twitter-restores-blue-check-marks-to-some-big-accounts-but-some-celebrities-dont-want-them/?sh=654a3cf173a1 |url-status=live }} Doja Cat said that having a blue checkmark "means theres{{sic}} a higher chance that you're a complete loser".{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/musicians-react-losing-blue-check-verification-elon-musk-twitter-1235312500/ |title=Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat & More Musicians React to Losing Their Blue Check Verification on Twitter |date=April 21, 2023 |last=Dailey |first=Hannah |magazine=Billboard |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422105039/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/musicians-react-losing-blue-check-verification-elon-musk-twitter-1235312500/ |url-status=live }}

At the premiere of The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), actor Jack Black stated that, "It's definitely not cool to pay for it". Similarly, singer Jacob Sartorius, who appreciated receiving a blue checkmark in 2016, said, "It's not something that’s cool anymore".{{Cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/25/style/twitter-check-marks.html |title=Are Blue Checks Uncool Now? |date=April 25, 2023 |last1=Holtermann |first1=Callie |last2=Kelley |first2=Lora |work=The New York Times |access-date=April 26, 2023 |archive-date=April 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426000939/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/25/style/twitter-check-marks.html/ |url-status=live }} Black's co-star Chris Pratt showed apathy towards the blue checkmark.{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/chris-pratt-jack-black-twitter-blue-checkmark-super-mario-bros-1235570946/ |title=Jack Black Wants to Call Elon Musk's 'Bluff' on Removing Twitter Verification Checkmarks: 'It's Definitely Not Cool to Pay for It' |date=April 2, 2023 |last=Malkin |first=Marc |work=Variety |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409170445/https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/chris-pratt-jack-black-twitter-blue-checkmark-super-mario-bros-1235570946/ |url-status=live }} Similarly, rapper Ice Spice and vocalist Ice-T showed no interest towards the blue checkmark. To the contrary, actor Jason Alexander said that he would leave if his verification was removed. Minnesota Twins play-by-play announcer Dick Bremer left Twitter after losing his verification; Bremer was drawn into Twitter after a parody account used his name and likeness to post racist tweets.{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/fannation/bringmethesports/twins/twins-broadcaster-dick-bremer-to-stop-tweeting-after-twitter-scraps-legacy-blue-checks |title=Twins broadcaster Dick Bremer to stop tweeting after Twitter scraps legacy blue checks |date=April 23, 2023 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424050322/https://www.si.com/fannation/bringmethesports/twins/twins-broadcaster-dick-bremer-to-stop-tweeting-after-twitter-scraps-legacy-blue-checks |url-status=live }} Actor Bella Ramsey left the platform after the removal of blue checkmarks.{{Cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/bella-ramsey-gay-pronouns-twitter-b2324784.html |title=Bella Ramsey announces she's leaving Twitter: 'Thank you my gay army' |date=April 22, 2023 |last=Murray |first=Tom |work=The Independent |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422130148/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/bella-ramsey-gay-pronouns-twitter-b2324784.html |url-status=live }} Singer Dionne Warwick, actor Ian McKellen, and rapper Lil Nas X outright stated that they refuse to pay for the blue checkmark, as actors Mark Hamill and Ben Stiller, activist Monica Lewinsky, singer-songwriter Jason Isbell, and journalist Kara Swisher suggested they would.{{Cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/2023/04/twitter-verified-celebrities-refuse-elon-musk.html |title=Millionaires Are Not Into Paying for Twitter Verification |date=April 15, 2023 |last=Ruth |first=Wolfgang |work=Vulture |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416234848/https://www.vulture.com/2023/04/twitter-verified-celebrities-refuse-elon-musk.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/24/tech/musk-twitter-blue-check-mark/index.html |title=How Elon Musk transformed Twitter's blue check from status symbol into a badge of shame |date=April 24, 2023 |last=Fung |first=Brian |publisher=CNN |access-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424192115/https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/24/tech/musk-twitter-blue-check-mark/index.html |url-status=live }} Stand-up comedian Mike Drucker congratulated Twitter for implementing paid verification, writing, "Some users on Twitter were starting to confuse me for the type of person who'd pay $8 a month to feel special. It was embarrassing".{{Cite web |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90870874/twitter-verified-legacy-blue-checkmark-going-away-soon |title=With legacy verification ending, will Twitter's blue checks become the new scarlet letter? |date=April 24, 2023 |last=Grothaus |first=Michael |work=Fast Company |access-date=April 26, 2023 |archive-date=April 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426224647/https://www.fastcompany.com/90870874/twitter-verified-legacy-blue-checkmark-going-away-soon |url-status=live }} Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared on Bluesky a week after legacy blue checkmarks were removed.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/27/23701021/dril-bluesky-twitter |title=Dril and AOC are now on Bluesky |date=April 27, 2023 |last=Peters |first=Jay |work=The Verge |access-date=April 27, 2023 |archive-date=April 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230427190131/https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/27/23701021/dril-bluesky-twitter |url-status=live }}

After beseeching Musk, actor Charlie Sheen regained his checkmark.{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/twitter-restores-blue-check-marks-dead-celebrities-1235592333/ |title=Twitter Restores Blue Check-Marks for Many Celebs, Including Several Dead Ones |date=April 24, 2023 |last=Spangler |first=Todd |work=Variety |access-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424132629/https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/twitter-restores-blue-check-marks-dead-celebrities-1235592333/ |url-status=live }} Musician Sean Ono Lennon showed confusion towards celebrities who refused to pay for Twitter Blue. Ardent supporters of Musk have defended Twitter Blue, particularly noting its price point. Internet entrepreneur Jason Calacanis, entrepreneur David O. Sacks, and essayist Nassim Nicholas Taleb placed immense value into the subscription while tweeting about it, with Taleb calling those who pay for other products and services monthly but not Twitter Blue "domain dependent misers!" Right-wing Twitter user Catturd called critics of Twitter Blue "elitist snobs".{{Cite web |url=https://qz.com/the-problem-with-twitters-blue-checkmark-is-not-the-8-1850363089 |title=The problem with Twitter's blue checkmark is not the $8-a-month cost |date=April 21, 2023 |last=Nover |first=Scott |work=Quartz |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422100211/https://qz.com/the-problem-with-twitters-blue-checkmark-is-not-the-8-1850363089 |url-status=live }}

=#BlockTheBlue=

The removal of blue checkmarks from legacy verified accounts inspired the hashtag #BlockTheBlue, in which users block any users they see with a blue checkmark, with Eve 6 bassist Max Collins taking part in the hashtag. A Twitter account for the hashtag was created before being abruptly taken down.{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/04/22/block-the-blue-twitter-verified/ |title=Twitter users #BlockTheBlue as 'verified' accounts take on new meaning |date=April 22, 2023 |last=Ables |first=Kelsey |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422171041/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/04/22/block-the-blue-twitter-verified/ |url-status=live}} dril, who originated the #BlockTheBlue campaign, spoke to Mashable{{'}}s Matt Binder, writing, "blocking [Twitter Blue subscribers] and encouraging others to do the same on a massive scale is the complete opposite of what they want".{{Cite web |url=https://mashable.com/article/block-the-blue-twitter-campaign-dril |title=Dril and other Twitter power users begin campaign to 'Block the Blue' paid checkmarks |date=April 21, 2023 |last=Binder |first=Matt |work=Mashable |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423001306/https://mashable.com/article/block-the-blue-twitter-campaign-dril |url-status=live}} Conversely, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney wrote, "People in this #BlockTheBlue pressure campaign are losers and goons", with Musk replying with, "Exactly". Sweeney has been an outspoken critic of verification since 2018.{{Cite web |url=https://fortune.com/2023/04/22/elon-musk-on-twitter-users-blocking-blue-check-marks-after-legacy-purge/ |title=Elon Musk weighs in on campaign to block Twitter accounts that still have blue check mark after legacy purge |date=April 22, 2023 |last=Mollman |first=Steve |work=Fortune |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422232623/https://fortune.com/2023/04/22/elon-musk-on-twitter-users-blocking-blue-check-marks-after-legacy-purge/ |url-status=live }}

=Organizations=

In response to Verification for Organizations, various news organizations—including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, BuzzFeed News, HuffPost, Politico, and Vox Media sites—stated that they would not pay for Twitter verification for their employees. CNN said that it would not pay for employee verification status except for some staff members.{{Cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/30/media/news-organizations-elon-musk-twitter-checkmark/index.html |title=News organizations reject Elon Musk's demand of paying to keep checkmarks on Twitter |date=March 30, 2023 |last=Darcy |first=Oliver |publisher=CNN |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422213057/https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/30/media/news-organizations-elon-musk-twitter-checkmark/index.html |url-status=live }} The White House has no intentions to pay for checkmarks for their employees, according to Axios.{{Cite web |url=https://www.axios.com/2023/03/31/twitter-verification-white-house-biden-check-mark |title=Scoop: White House won't pay for Twitter verification |date=March 31, 2023 |last=Fischer |first=Sara |work=Axios |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=March 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331180601/https://www.axios.com/2023/03/31/twitter-verification-white-house-biden-check-mark |url-status=live }}

The Twitter account for Amazon Prime Video in the United Kingdom posted a meme of The Boys character Homelander pushing his son off a roof, with Homelander labeled as Twitter and his son labeled as a blue checkmark.{{Cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2023/04/amazon-trolls-elon-musk-twitter-blue-tick-takedown-homelander-meme-1235333451/ |title=Amazon Prime Video Trolls Elon Musk With Homelander Meme After Twitter's Blue Check Takedown |date=April 21, 2023 |last=Kanter |first=Jake |work=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-date=April 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423040919/https://deadline.com/2023/04/amazon-trolls-elon-musk-twitter-blue-tick-takedown-homelander-meme-1235333451/ |url-status=live }} Law blog SCOTUSblog stopped posting on Twitter entirely after it lost its checkmark.{{Cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/firms-pass-paying-twitter-checks-even-some-star-lawyers-shell-out-2023-04-21/ |title=Law firms take a pass on paying for Twitter checks, but some star attorneys shell out |date=April 21, 2023 |last=Greene |first=Jenna |publisher=Reuters |access-date=April 28, 2023 |archive-date=April 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230429001802/https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/firms-pass-paying-twitter-checks-even-some-star-lawyers-shell-out-2023-04-21/ |url-status=live }}

=Analysis=

==Legal==

Northeastern University School of Law professor Alexandra Roberts argued that Twitter's claim that certain individuals paid for Twitter Blue may violate state and federal false representation laws, such as the Lanham Act, popularized through a retweet by dril, but reserved that Twitter was not making a direct advertisement. Solicitor Simon McGarr mentioned that Twitter's insistence on the blue checkmark for some users, such as dril, may violate the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union, as verifying accounts requires a phone number. McGarr also noted Tolley v. Fry, a 1931 court case filed against chocolate bar manufacturer J. S. Fry & Sons by golfer Cyril Tolley alleging that the advertising of chocolate bars with a caricature of Tolley was defamatory, or the similar case Eddie Irvine v. Talksport between racing driver Eddie Irvine and sports radio station Talksport.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/24/23695772/twitter-blue-check-paid-verification-false-endorsement-dril |title=Twitter users are now wondering if mandatory blue checks are illegal |date=April 24, 2023 |last=Robertson |first=Adi |work=The Verge |access-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424174003/https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/24/23695772/twitter-blue-check-paid-verification-false-endorsement-dril |url-status=live }} Other scholars have cited the Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914, while some have pointed to the disdain for blue checkmarks and the potential effects of the checkmark on celebrities' reputations.{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/story/twitters-verification-fiasco-may-end-in-court/ |title=Twitter's Verification Fiasco May End in Court |date=April 26, 2023 |last=Stokel-Walker |first=Chris |magazine=Wired |access-date=April 26, 2023 |archive-date=April 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426153124/https://www.wired.com/story/twitters-verification-fiasco-may-end-in-court/ |url-status=live }} The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has not commented on Twitter Blue, although an anonymous former FTC official called it "deceptive".{{Cite web |url=https://qz.com/elon-musk-is-courting-fresh-ftc-scrutiny-with-his-lates-1850371840 |title=Elon Musk is courting fresh FTC scrutiny with his latest Twitter fiasco |date=April 25, 2023 |last=Nover |first=Scott |work=Quartz |access-date=April 26, 2023 |archive-date=April 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426014528/https://qz.com/elon-musk-is-courting-fresh-ftc-scrutiny-with-his-lates-1850371840 |url-status=live }}

==Misinformation==

Following the initial implementation of paid verification, the Twitter account for the anti-vaccine propaganda film Died Suddenly (2022) became verified. The account has been used to spread medical misinformation, including of COVID-19 vaccines.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/health-63719246 |title=They died suddenly - then the anti-vax trolling started |date=November 23, 2022 |last=Schraer |first=Rachel |publisher=BBC |access-date=April 26, 2023 |archive-date=November 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123145924/https://www.bbc.com/news/health-63719246 |url-status=live }} The removal of blue checkmarks has also been seen as "chaos for emergency services", according to Marc-André Argentino, a research fellow at the International Center for the Study of Radicalization. Paleoecologist Jacquelyn Gill and Berkeley Earth scientist Robert Rohde were also unverified, presenting a changing landscape for climate scientists on Twitter.{{Cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2023/04/24/the-changing-twitter-landscape-for-climate-scientists-and-the-scarlet-letter-of-verification/ |title=The Changing Twitter Landscape For Climate Scientists And The Scarlet Letter Of 'Verification' |date=April 24, 2023 |last=Shepherd |first=Marshall |work=Forbes |access-date=April 26, 2023 |archive-date=April 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426045853/https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2023/04/24/the-changing-twitter-landscape-for-climate-scientists-and-the-scarlet-letter-of-verification/ |url-status=live }} Pro-Russian Twitter accounts used verification to sow doubt over the true nature of the 2023 Ohio train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.{{Cite web |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-u-s-news/pro-moscow-voices-tried-to-steer-ohio-train-disaster-debate/ |title=Pro-Moscow voices tried to steer Ohio train disaster debate |date=March 18, 2023 |last=Klepper |first=David |work=The Hill |access-date=April 26, 2023 |archive-date=April 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426231031/https://thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-u-s-news/pro-moscow-voices-tried-to-steer-ohio-train-disaster-debate/ |url-status=live }}

References

Category:Twitter controversies