Elon Musk, the enigmatic billionaire and owner of the social network X, has made a surprising move by reversing course on his stance regarding the distribution of blue verification checkmarks. Musk announced last week his decision to provide free premium features, including the coveted blue checkmarks, to select users with more than 2,500 verified followers.
This week, several users noticed the reappearance of blue checkmarks on their profiles, signaling the implementation of Musk’s pledge. However, some recipients of the blue checkmarks were left puzzled as to how they had obtained them, prompting the company to send notifications to explain the change.
Traditionally, X users had to subscribe to the platform’s premium monthly service to receive a blue badge, which was previously used by Twitter’s former management to verify the identities of notable individuals. Musk had been critical of this practice, denouncing it as a “lords and peasants” system. Upon assuming ownership of X, Musk promptly removed all legacy blue checkmarks, requiring users to pay for verification instead.
Now, after 18 months at the helm of X, Musk seems to be embracing a different approach. This shift represents a departure from his previous stance, signaling a willingness to adopt elements of the old company’s strategy. When reached for comment, a spokesperson for X declined to provide further details on the decision.
The move by Musk to offer free premium features, including blue checkmarks, underscores his evolving vision for X and his desire to cater to the platform’s diverse user base. It remains to be seen how this decision will impact the dynamics of X and its user community in the long run.