Twitter Makes Another Huge Change to Controversial Blue Check System

By Marc Deschamps

Following the company's takeover by Elon Musk, Twitter has been making a number of changes to the user experience. One of the biggest changes relates to the current blue check system. Currently, the system is in place to verify that celebrities, journalists, and public figures are who they say they are. Musk announced a controversial change to that system last week, which would give a blue check to anyone that pays $8/month for Twitter Blue, with no verification needed. That has led to major concerns about impersonators, but now Twitter has revealed a new "official label," which will designate which accounts are official.

The change was announced by Twitter's Esther Crawford, and an example can be found in the Tweet embedded below.

Crawford went on to say that the official label will not be given to all previously verified accounts, and users won't be able to purchase it. Instead, it will be given to "government accounts, commercial companies, business partners, major media outlets, publishers and some public figures." The move was likely made to satisfy companies and advertisers that were concerned about imposters. A number of verified accounts have protested the changes to the blue check system by impersonating Elon Musk over the last few days, including comedian Kathy Griffin. The move has led to several bans, and even more changes to Twitter's rules. 

While this latest change should help to prevent impersonators, it's another example of Musk's Twitter trying to fix something that wasn't broken in the first place! While Musk sees the blue check as a sign of status, that was never the intent behind it; it was always meant as a sign of verification. Now that's changing to an $8/month status symbol, with verification being something else entirely!

The many changes that have been announced and adjusted over the last week or so are clear evidence that none of Musk's proposals have been well thought out. The rush to institute paid check marks is likely one of multiple attempts to recoup some of Musk's $44 billion purchase of the company, but it's hard to say how many people will actually spend that kind of money, especially with this latest change now in place.

What do you think of this change? Do you plan to pay for a blue check on Twitter? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

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