By John Ikani
Micro-blogging platform Twitter has announced that verified accounts with blue checkmarks will be saying goodbye to the legacy program starting April 1st, 2023.
According to an issued statement, Twitter will wind down the legacy verified program and will remove blue checkmarks from verified accounts next month.
To maintain a blue checkmark on Twitter, users will have to sign up for the new subscription service called Twitter Blue, which was introduced by the owner of Twitter, Elon Musk.
Musk introduced Twitter Blue to increase the platform’s financial resources and generate much-needed revenue.
Twitter first introduced verified accounts in 2009 to help users identify the real and authentic accounts of celebrities, politicians, companies, brands, news organizations, and other accounts.
After acquiring Twitter, Musk called the old verification system “corrupt” and decided to open up blue checkmarks to any paying customer.
This move was seen as a way to democratize the status symbol and generate a new revenue stream for the platform.
Twitter Blue is a premium service offered to subscribers for $8 per month on the web and $11 per month via in-app payment on iOS and Android.
Subscribers to Twitter Blue will have access to exclusive features such as the ‘Edit Tweet’ button, the ability to undo tweets, the ability to post longer and higher quality videos, and prioritized rankings in conversations.
