X Blue Tick: Twitter Users in Shock as Elon Musk-Owned Social Media Site Expands Verification Checkmark

Many X (formerly known as Twitter) are in shocked after seeing Blue Verification Tick next to their handles despite not paying for premium or subscription tier. 

Last week, Musk said, that X is doling out free Premium and Premium memberships to accounts with a high number of verified followers. That means accounts with over 2,500 “verified subscriber followers” would receive a free Premium membership; while accounts with over 5,000 would receive a free Premium Plus membership.

based on all the confused tweets i’m seeing, it looks like Twitter / X is starting to really ramp up the roll out of this now

if you suddenly have a blue checkmark even though you’re not paying for one, this is why: pic.twitter.com/T1XaBEeGgn

— Matt Binder (@MattBinder) April 3, 2024

So if someone was popular on Twitter, perhaps because they are a celebrity, an influencer or a journalist, they would get a blue check, which could also help reduce the spread of misinformation.

Also Read | X Launches Community Notes Program in India for Fact-Checking Tweets.

Before Musk's takeover, the verified begadged symbol on the platform known as Twitter was applied only to celebrities, politicians, journalists and others in the public eye. After the platform rolled out paid subscription, it became a that anyone could obtain along with purchasing a Premium membership. 

X users who were granted verification under the latest scheme received the following messages

🚨#BREAKING: Thousands of users are confused and alarmed as Twitter/X is significantly expanding the rollout of its blue checkmark. If you suddenly find yourself with a blue checkmark without paying for one, this is due to Elon Musk's announcement. He stated that all X accounts… pic.twitter.com/XOg62WwI25

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) April 3, 2024

Now, it appears that many influential X accounts with already large followings in the tens or hundreds of thousands (which may translate to verified followings that cross the benchmark) are once again check-marked, or will be, whether they like it or not.