Some celebrities have expressed concerns about the removal of Twitter blue check marks and potential impersonation on the platform. Actress Alyssa Milano has voiced her worry about the issue, while singer and actress Bette Midler has criticized entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Twitter has its verification policies, and the verification badge is a privilege that can be removed if an account holder violates the policies or no longer meets the criteria.
Leftist actress Alyssa Milano became one of the first celebrities to whine about losing her coveted blue Twitter check mark and threatened lawsuits.
In a tweet on Thursday, Milano complained she could be imitated and questioned whether without her badge she would have grounds to sue Twitter owner Elon Musk and Twitter for ‘defamation or identity theft or fraud.’
Bette Midler expressed her disappointment with Elon Musk’s decision to remove her Twitter verification badge. The verification badge is not a right but a privilege that Twitter grants to accounts that meet certain criteria, and it can be removed if an account holder violates the platform’s policies or no longer meets the verification criteria.
The blue check mark on Twitter was initially introduced to verify the identity of public figures and high-profile accounts. It was intended to help users distinguish between genuine accounts and fake or impersonated ones.
Over time, the blue check mark became a symbol of importance and status, as it signaled that the account holder had been recognized and verified by Twitter.
However, it is important to note that the blue check mark is not a measure of one’s personal worth or influence, and it can be removed if the account holder no longer meets the verification criteria or violates Twitter’s policies.
After Musk’s acquisition of the platform he committed to revising that system, which he suggested was unfair, by offering the blue check to any user willing to pay $8-a-month for ‘Twitter Blue’.
He tweeted: ‘That little bitch @elonmusk finally did it, he took away my check mark. I’m never gonna pay for this s**t platform btw. #BelugaWhaleLookinAss.’
Pepper has since set his account to private.
Musk claimed that the old blue check mark system was undemocratic – with some members of the great and the good clearly angered at having the status symbol removed.
They’ll also be less visible in specific timelines without the blue tick, particularly the new ‘for you’ feed that offers suggested accounts for people to follow.
Musk’s fans celebrated the move as a positive step towards democratizing the platform, but many have complained that without verification imitation could become commonplace.
In fact, the checks were introduced more than a decade ago after the platform was sued by the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, who claimed an unauthorized page used his name to make light of drunk driving.
Milano has been adamant that she will not pay for Twitter’s premium feature, and currently has no check mark on her profile verifying her identity.
‘So by revoking my blue check mark because I wouldn’t pay some arbitrary fee, someone can just be me and say a bunch of bullshit. Does that mean Twitter and are liable for defamation or identity theft or fraud?’ she wrote.
In the biography of her profile, she has written in capital letters: ‘NOT PAYING FOR A BLUE CHECK MARK!’
A number of others with big followings have said they would not subscribe to Musk’s Twitter Blue. Most notably, that includes NBA star LeBron James and the author Steven King.
Musk responded by upgrading their profiles to Twitter Blue regardless.
On Thursday, The Verge reported that a Twitter employee wrote to James offering a ‘complimentary subscription to Twitter Blue for your account, @kingjames, on behalf of Elon Musk.’
Similarly, King posted on Twitter: ‘My Twitter account says I’ve subscribed to Twitter Blue. I haven’t.’
Musk responded, ‘You’re welcome namaste’, and posted a tweet of his own saying, ‘I’m paying for a few personally.’
However, not all celebrities lamented Musk’s move.
Superman actor Dean Cain took exception to a tweet from ultra-left U.S. House Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that said losing check marks could lead to ‘major potential harm’.
The lawmaker, one of the most popular politicians on Twitter, with 13.4 million followers, claimed it could sow distrust about which government agencies are real – and lead to people ignoring urgent advice in the event of a natural disaster.
Cain simply responded ‘$8.00,’ referencing the relatively low cost of a check mark.
Rabble-rousing comedian Ricky Gervais also appeared to take aim at the anger, tweeting: ‘My blue tick has gone. I’m not sure if I’m ready or not.’
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