Twitter recently announced that it would end legacy verified accounts and that if anyone wanted to retain their blue checkmark they would have to pay for Twitter Blue.
Furthermore, only verified users will show up in the “For You” section on the social media platform, which means that those without checkmarks will see their engagement opportunities drop.
While he has since softened that stance for companies, individuals will still have to pay $8/month for the right to keep their verification, even as the idea of verification loses all semblance of value because of the change.
You can count NBA superstar LeBron James among those who will not be paying to keep their checkmark.
“Welp guess my blue [checkmark] will be gone soon cause if you know me I ain’t paying the 5,” tweeted LeBron on Friday.
Welp guess my blue ✔️ will be gone soon cause if you know me I ain’t paying the 5. 🤷🏾♂️
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 31, 2023
It’s unclear why LeBron said “5” when the price is $8/month.
Various news organizations, including ESPN, have said that they won’t reimburse their employees for Twitter Blue, so between celebrities and athletes like James and the reporters who cover them, we can expect to see a lot of blue checkmarks go away in the days ahead.
According to Mashable, most of the people who will end up with blue checkmarks are those with low followings, many of which have less than 100, which means that the blue check is about to mean the opposite of what it was intended to be.
Enioy Twitter while you can.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.