Twitter Officially Ends Legacy Verification Program

URL copied to clipboard.
Avishek Das/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

Twitter has endured numerous company shakeups since tech entrepreneur Elon Musk purchased the social giant in 2022. From multimedia outages to the alleged spread of misinformation, Musk has been largely criticized for many of his decisions at company headquarters. The richest man in the world has allegedly become so paranoid over the criticism that he has two bodyguards follow him everywhere he goes.

Arguably the largest controversy surrounding Musk’s Twitter takeover is his choice to abandon the legacy verification program. Prior to Musk’s purchase of the company, celebrities, journalists, and politicians would undergo a verification process to prove their authenticity and earn a coveted blue check mark. Now, Musk has launched Twitter Blue, which provides the blue check to anyone willing to pay for it. Journalists on the platform have largely criticized this policy change, arguing that it could allow for a massive spread of misinformation.

Some reporters created memes to commemorate the humorous absurdity of the policy.

Former Twitter executive Nathan Hubbard posted a thread at the risks of revoking the traditional verification policy. From misinformation to security risks, Hubbard explained the years of work that went into the design of the original process.

ADVERTISEMENT

Celebrities with verified accounts have additionally spoken out and criticized the new verification system.

Others poked fun at the end of legacy verification falling on April Fool’s Day, with some still hoping it’s meant to be a joke.

ADVERTISEMENT

As of now, despite mass pushback, Elon Musk has not revoked the policy change, and starting tomorrow, Twitter Blue will be the only way to achieve verification.

More headlines