The hottest news right now about one of the most popular social media software (twitter) is that a lot of its users, including celebrities like most popular footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo and popular Nigerian politician, Peter Gregory Obi had previously lost their twitter verification badges otherwise known as blue ticks due to Elon Musk's recent policy that the verification badge must be maintained by subscribing to it financially, contrary to the previous position where it was free for all.
The subscription ranges from monthly ($8) to yearly subscription. For Nigerians, the yearly subscription is #38,500 (thirty-eight thousand, five hundred naira) at a certain percentage discount. This got the whole twitter community fuming, as it is rather strange to them that they would be paying for their accounts to be verified, as opposed to the earlier position when twitter was under the supervision of Jack Dorsey as the CEO.
This policy, although may not have sat well with a lot of persons initially, especially those who were already verified and used to not paying for it, it is starting to gain support of persons who now see it as an opportunity to "rub shoulders" with celebrities and elites. With the current situation, a lot of unpopular people are getting verified while celebrities with over 10 million followers who did not pay are unverified. Influencers who lost their blue tick are now predicting that this will bring an end to twitter. Others who paid and just got verified for the first time in their life are calling it a welcome development.
Taka a look at what some verified users are saying:
@AltcoinGlitz is trying to confirm if more persons can see his/her post now 😅
@2MASX is throwing jabs at persons who haven't taken advantage of the blue tick yet.
More comments on the blue tick from @RippleyRippley
Elon Musk has also added another incentive to the verified users that: they will be prioritized. What this means is not clear yet. However, we are guessing that it means that the verified user's post will be ranked above others who are not verified. Meaning that anytime a verified person makes a post, he/she would reach a larger audience than one who is not verified. Another incentive available for verified users is that they now have access to making a post with more words that before. This means that anyone who is not verified is more restricted to making a post with fewer words. Although the fewer words requirement for twitter was meant to be a smart feature, as it requires someone to use few, engaging words to capture the audience, rather than make a post with long epistles. Well, I definitely cannot argue with one of the richest men in the world right now, as to his market strategies.
Although not completely verified as at the time of writing this, it is reported that celebrities who have above 1 million followers are beginning to have their blue tick back even without paying for the subscription. One thing is for sure, newly verified accounts are loving this development as they would love their comments and posts to be prioritized above others. Who wouldn't? As long as you don't see $8 (eight dollars) as a big deal, you would see it as an opportunity to be heard louder than the unverified twitter users. A business person or entrepreneur would see it an an opportunity to market their products.
For those who are are wondering; "what exactly is this Twitter blue tick?"
The Twitter blue tick, also known as the verification badge, is a symbol that appears next to a Twitter account's name, indicating that the account has been confirmed as authentic by Twitter. The blue tick is a status symbol on the platform, and it is highly sought after by individuals and brands alike.
Twitter first introduced the blue tick in 2009 as a way to verify the authenticity of high-profile accounts, such as those of celebrities, politicians, and journalists. Initially, the process of obtaining the blue tick was opaque and only available to a select few individuals deemed worthy by Twitter's staff. However, in 2016, Twitter opened up the verification process to all users, with the aim of making it easier for people to identify trustworthy accounts on the platform.
Procedure for applyingTo apply for the blue tick, users must fill out a verification request form on Twitter's website. The form requires users to provide their name, birth date, a government-issued ID, and links to relevant websites that confirm their identity. Twitter states that accounts must meet certain criteria to be eligible for verification, including having a complete profile, a confirmed email address and phone number, and a profile picture and header image, and most importantly, your $8.
Despite the application process being open to all users, Twitter notes that receiving the blue tick is not guaranteed. Twitter states that verification is granted on a case-by-case basis and that not all requests will be approved. However, Twitter does provide a way for users to appeal a denied verification request.
Why get verified?
So why do people want the blue tick so badly? For one, it provides a sense of legitimacy to one's account. In a platform where anyone can create an account and pretend to be someone else, the blue tick offers a way to stand out as a verified and trusted source. This is particularly important for individuals and brands who rely on their Twitter accounts for business or personal branding purposes.
In addition, having a blue tick also comes with some practical benefits. Verified accounts receive higher priority in search results, making them more discoverable to other Twitter users. Verified accounts also have access to exclusive features, such as the ability to filter notifications and the ability to report impersonation of their account.
Despite the benefits of having a blue tick, the verification process has not been without controversy. In the past, Twitter has been criticized for its opaque and inconsistent approach to verifying accounts. In 2017, Twitter briefly suspended its verification program after receiving backlash for verifying the accounts of white supremacists and other controversial figures. Twitter later resumed the program with a new set of guidelines aimed at ensuring that the blue tick is only granted to accounts that are "of public interest."
More recently, Twitter has come under fire for its handling of verification requests from marginalized groups, such as transgender individuals and people of color. Critics have accused Twitter of having a bias towards verifying accounts that align with mainstream viewpoints and ignoring requests from marginalized communities.
To address these concerns, Twitter has made some changes to its verification process. In 2021, Twitter introduced new criteria for the blue tick that take into account a user's impact on their field, community, or culture. Twitter has also announced that it will be expanding the verification program to include more types of accounts, such as scientists, academics, and religious leaders.
To further add to the criticism, as mentioned earlier, it currently requires you to pay for it, despite fulfilling other requirements.
Overall, the Twitter blue tick is a symbol of legitimacy and trust on the platform. While the verification process has had its share of controversies, Twitter has taken steps to make it more transparent and inclusive. As Twitter continues to evolve and grow, it will be interesting to see how the blue tick evolves with it and it's current CEO, Elon Musk.
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