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Gone are the free blue verification checkmarks on Twitter. They once showed that behind a profile lies the true identity of a certain person. Now a blue check just means someone is paying money. Actually.
Apparently most celebrities didn’t think the hook was worth the money. Hundreds of thousands of stars lost their verification on Thursday. Not so bestselling author Stephen King (75). For years he has exchanged blows on Twitter with Twitter boss Elon Musk (51). He is one of the harshest critics of Musk’s takeover of Twitter. King has repeatedly stated that he does not want to pay for a hook on a blue background. All the more surprising that he kept his.
Did he buy verification from all people? King denies. The author announced on Twitter that he had not taken out a subscription and had not provided his telephone number. And yet his tick is still there.
What’s behind it? The answer is surprising: apparently the Twitter boss himself funds his opponent’s hook. “You’re welcome,” Musk tweeted back. Explosive: The tech billionaire announced on Twitter that he would pay the compensation for some stars “personally”.
Accusations of greed for profit are loud
Basketball star Le Bron James (38), also a critic of subscription payments, has not yet been able to free himself from the tick. According to the blog The Verge, he declined Musk’s offer to cover his subscription fees, but the catch remained. It is unclear whether he paid for it himself.
Meanwhile, derisive comments piled up under Musk’s tweet. One user writes, “Perhaps Twitter verifies the players of all major sports leagues they work with.”
Behind the comments lies the criticism of arbitrary verification of their profiles, which could make Twitter profit. Subscriptions compensate the advertisers who left after the Musk acquisition. (A)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
