Twitter met Elon Musk announced the abolition of the blue badge of certification of public figures, considering this badge unfair. possible only by paying for a Twitter Blue subscription, which can have harmful consequences, especially in terms of false information and moderation. Elon Musk shut down on Thursday, April 20, 2023, Twitter’s blue certification badge system, which made it possible to distinguish authentic accounts from public figures, media, companies, or experts. From now on, only subscribers to Twitter Blue, the network’s paid offering social, can display the authentication badge on their profile. The rest have to be content with a gray badge for government agencies or a yellow badge for business. The decision, announced by Twitter CEO Elon Musk in November 2022, has sparked a plethora of reactions and questions about the impact it will have on operations and trust in the platform.
Why is this change?
Elon Musk, who bought Twitter in November 2022, attributed the change to his desire to end a system he saw as unfair and arbitrary. According to him, the blue badge created a division between users based on whether they had a blue checkmark, as well as depending on ideological or political biases. He also claimed that the blue badge was not a sign of trust, but rather a status symbol. social. By removing the blue badge for non-paid accounts, Elon Musk also hopes to encourage users to subscribe to Twitter Blue, which offers several benefits: more visibility for posted content, tech perks, and fewer ads. This strategy is aimed primarily at resuscitating Twitter’s finances, which were already fragile before the takeover and which have worsened with the exit of advertisers, after a very liberal freedom of expression policy was implemented. place from Elon Musk.
What are the consequences?
The removal of the blue badge immediately caused many public figures to lose their reputation, such as Pope Francis, singer Lady Gaga and soccer player Kylian Mbappe. Some have expressed their dissatisfaction or misunderstanding online. social, while others were scathing about the situation. Some politicians received a gray badge in the process, while others opted to follow Twitter Blue to regain their blue tick. Aside from the anecdotal aspect, the removal of the blue badge also raises more serious questions about the reliability and verification of information on Twitter. Indeed, the blue badge was a means of identifying official sources of information.information credible, and to distinguish them from fakes or parodies. Without this visual cue, it becomes harder for users to know who they are dealing with and filter out misleading or misleading content. This may contribute to the spread of false information or rumors online. social. Moreover, a few weeks ago, Elon Musk himself caused trouble by removing the BBC certification badge. A fake UK national news channel account that paid for a Twitter Blue subscription was able to usurp the BBC account for a while. In addition, the removal of the blue badge can also affect the influence and prominence of public figures on Twitter. Indeed, the blue badge was a mark of recognition and legitimacy for the accounts that received it, and gave them a certain amount of authority and notoriety on the platform. Without this distinctive badge, they risk losing trust and popularity among users. Worse, they can also be stolen.