Twitter to end verification system that gave blue check marks to notable accounts
Twitter is ending a verification system that gave blue check marks to accounts it had determined were authentic and in the public interest, the company said Thursday, March 23.
Twitter will begin winding down the system on April 1.
The check marks, which were free under the system, are now available through Twitter Blue — a subscription service that the company launched last year.
Under the previous program, celebrities, officials, journalists and others the company considered notable could request verification. Newsfeeds, fans, parodies and other similar accounts were ineligible.
Twitter CEO Elon Musk introduced Twitter Blue shortly after he bought the social media giant in October, describing it as a way to boost revenue and halt trolls and bots.
The $8 per month service, which also allows users to edit and undo tweets, was quickly pulled after impersonators flourished. It was relaunched in December.
Twitter Blue doesn’t require accounts to be notable. Criteria for the service includes being non-deceptive, active and older than 90 days.
This story first appeared on NBCNews.com.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
