Twitter Blue Gets Global Launch As Removal Of Legacy Checkmarks Looms
Twitter is finally rolling out its $8-per-month subscription service to all users across the globe. The biggest draw of Twitter Blue is that it offers the coveted blue checkmark for your account. Interestingly, Twitter appears to be working on a feature that would let subscribers hide their blue badge while still being able to use the rest of the exclusive features, at least according to reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi. In addition to the verified badge, the paid tier also offers a bunch of benefits like the ability to edit and undo tweets, create a dedicated bookmarks folder, pick up a custom app icon and theme, and a dedicated reader mode for long threads.
Twitter Blue is now available globally! Sign up today to get your blue checkmark, prioritized ranking in conversations, half ads, long Tweets, Bookmark Folders, custom navigation, Edit Tweet, Undo Tweet, and more. Sign up here: https://t.co/SBRLJccMxD
— Twitter Blue (@TwitterBlue) March 23, 2023
Another notable feature is the ability to post tweets that are up to 4,000 characters long, though not everyone is fond of that change. Lastly, subscribers will be able to pick SMS as a two-factor option to authenticate their logins — though users are better off without it because using an authenticator app or a physical security key is a far more secure solution. However, some of the promised perks like half the number of ads in your feed and having your tweets prioritized in conversations are yet to arrive.
Legacy verified checkmarks won't be around for long
Aside from the global expansion of Twitter Blue, the social media platform made another crucial announcement: legacy verified accounts, which got the blue checkmark in the pre-Musk era because of their importance, will lose that privilege in the coming days unless they pay for the Blue subscription. The official date on which the controversial policy change will start to roll out is rather odd — April 1, 2023. One could very well suspect that is another bad joke from the company's new CEO, but at least that's what the official Twitter Verified handle has to say.
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
Organizations can sign up for https://t.co/RlN5BbuGA3...
— Twitter Verified (@verified) March 23, 2023
With the legacy verified checks gone, users will have to cough up $8 per month ($11 each month on mobile) or get used to existing online without the blue badge on their profile. This change is the brainchild of Musk, who previously lambasted the "lords & peasants" verification system of old Twitter. Soon after Musk's $44 billion purchase, the company announced that following a grace period, it would be taking away the blue badge from legacy verified accounts unless they pay for it. That's about to happen in a week — assuming the tweet isn't an April Fools' joke — despite the whole approach backfiring in a stunning fashion.