Free Twitter is Coming to an End...Again
Olivia Taylor (she/her) is a writer, self-proclaimed reality TV buff and uses "Real Housewives" references unironically. Her camera roll is filled with Twitter screenshots and she will definitely talk your ear off for as long as you will let her. Find more of her pop culture ramblings just about anywhere on the internet.
Cherish your little blue checkmark while you can, because pretty soon you’ll have to pay for it.
Gone are the days of free verification. Starting on April 20, Twitter, the social media company bought by multi-billionaire Elon Musk, will revoke all verified statuses across the platform. That is, unless you opt-in to the paid Twitter Blue or Twitter Verified Organizations plans. Read more to find out how much you'll have to shell out to stand out online.
How much will it cost to be verified on Twitter?
On April 1st, we will begin winding down our legacy verified program and removing legacy verified checkmarks. To keep your blue checkmark on Twitter, individuals can sign up for Twitter Blue here: https://t.co/gzpCcwOpLp
— Twitter Verified (@verified) March 23, 2023
Organizations can sign up for https://t.co/RlN5BbuGA3…
For Twitter-obsessed individual users, a verified blue check mark will run you $8/month (if you purchase through the web), or $11/month via in-app payment on iOS and Android devices.
If professional Tweeters want a gold or gray check mark, they’ll need to fork over for $1,000/month (plus tax) and $50/month (plus tax) for each additional affiliate sub-account through their Twitter Verified Organizations program.
Why will Twitter verification cost money now?
The social media platform first introduced the coveted blue check marks in 2009 to help users identify the authenticity of celebrities, politicians, brands and other accounts “of public interest.” Up until April 1, verification was historically free.
“Far too many corrupt legacy Blue ‘verification’ check marks exist, so no choice but to remove legacy Blue in coming months,” Musk tweeted in November.
When will my blue checkmark be revoked?
\u201cFinal date for removing legacy Blue checks is 4/20\u201d— Elon Musk (@Elon Musk) 1681239318
Initially, Musk said that April 1st was the deadline, though that has since changed to April 20. Perhaps from backlash over the change, perhaps for the 4/20 date...who knows.
The Reaction From Fellow Tweeters?
My blue check pic.twitter.com/VadW1UQocn
— Maura Judkis (@MauraJudkis) March 31, 2023
should i do a wellness check on all my verified friends today
— Alice Roth (@aliceroth) March 31, 2023
what should I do with my last day as a blue check owner? wrong answers only!
— Kalyani (kull-yah-nee) Saxena (@kalyani_saxena) March 31, 2023
I will lose my blue check as God intended, while travelling on a plane for 20 hours to another country
— Karen K. Ho (@karenkho) March 30, 2023
If/when I lose my blue verification checkmark this weekend, just know it's still me! Don't fall for all the fake impersonators out there y'all! ✔️
— Lane Johnson (@LaneJohnson65) March 31, 2023
Well, since I don’t have a blue checkmark, it was great talking to you all, but I am certain I will be slipping into the algorithm abyss effective today. Keep in touch
— Derek (@DerekNeverFails) March 31, 2023
In true Twitter fashion, un-paid verified users decided to fan the flames and go out in great discourse dumpster fire on their last day with their little blue check.
We absolutely love Twitter, but we can’t help but wonder if this really a way to democratize the platform, or a way for Twitter to climb out of their $13 billion in debt…maybe it’s a little of both.
So tell us, Brit + Co readers, will you be paying for verification? Let us know in the comments below.
This article was originally published on March 31, 2023 and has been updated with new reporting.
Image via Sara Kurfeß/Unsplash
Olivia Taylor (she/her) is a writer, self-proclaimed reality TV buff and uses "Real Housewives" references unironically. Her camera roll is filled with Twitter screenshots and she will definitely talk your ear off for as long as you will let her. Find more of her pop culture ramblings just about anywhere on the internet.
