In a recent announcement, the social media platform X has revealed its latest policy shift that will grant blue ticks to its most “influential” users.
Initially intended as a means to verify users’ identities, blue ticks evolved into a paid feature following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform.
However, recent messages indicate that this verification is now being provided at no cost to users who are deemed to be “influential members of the community.”
Users with over 2,500 verified followers and who are already subscribers to X Premium will now receive premium features for free. Alongside the blue tick, these users will experience a reduction in the number of ads they see on the platform.
Additionally, X has announced a purge of bots, which could potentially lead to decreased follower counts. Premium subscribers also benefit from having their tweets ranked higher in reply threads and can apply for revenue sharing from site advertisements.
Users who already have more than 5,000 verified followers will be given complimentary access to Premium+, which offers nearly ad-free browsing and even higher tweet ranking in replies. This development follows Elon Musk’s announcement of the feature in late March.
Prior to Mr Musk’s ownership, the blue tick served as a free verification badge issued by the platform to authenticate users and combat misinformation and fake accounts.
Originally, its main purpose was to show the user’s credibility on the platform. It was typically reserved for celebrities, government officials, and journalists. However, Elon Musk previously criticised this system and denounced it for creating a class divide between “lords and peasants.”
Under his leadership, the blue tick transformed into a symbol of an X Premium subscription, tied to a verification process requiring payment.
Now, it represents a fusion of both concepts, where users are considered prominent simply by virtue of being followed by enough blue-ticked users.
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