Twitter verification used to be a badge of honour. It signified that you mattered. It signified that you had a voice. Moreover, it signified that you had influence. It signified that you had credibility.
But now, thanks to Elon Musk, it signifies nothing.
He bought Twitter and launched Twitter Blue, a subscription service that lets anyone buy a blue checkmark for a few Euros a month. Who you are and what you do doesn’t matter. You can be a nobody, a nobody pretending to be somebody, or a somebody pretending to be somebody else.
This is a slap in the face to everyone who got verified under the old system. The ones who worked hard, who built their reputation, who earned their recognition. The ones who had something to say, something to offer, something to contribute.
And it’s a slap in the face to everyone who wanted to get verified under the new system. The ones who had potential, who had talent, who had ambition. The ones who wanted to make a difference, to make an impact, to make a change.
Elon Musk doesn’t care about any of them. He doesn’t care about verification. He doesn’t care about authenticity. Not only that, but he doesn’t care about trust.
He only cares about himself. He only cares about money. He only cares about fun.
Musk has no clue what verification is or why it matters. It’s just a shiny toy that he can play with and sell to anyone who wants it. He thinks he can do whatever he wants with Twitter and get away with it. But he’s wrong.
By ruining verification, he’s ruining everything that Twitter had worked so hard to evolve into and needs to stop.
Musk needs to bring back the old verification system or create a new one that is fair and transparent. He needs to separate verification from subscription and make it clear that verification is not for sale. People who have worked hard to get verified, and who value their badge as a symbol of authenticity, need to be respected.
And they are not alone. Many Twitter users are outraged by Musk’s move and have voiced their discontent on the platform. They have accused him of devaluing verification, undermining trust, and betraying the spirit of Twitter. They have called for a boycott of Twitter Blue and demanded that Musk reverse his decision.
Some verified users have even gone as far as to remove their blue checkmarks voluntarily, in protest of Musk’s actions. They have expressed their solidarity with the unverified users who deserve recognition but can’t afford to pay for it. They have also shown their disdain for the verified users who bought their way into the club without merit.
These actions show that verification is more than just a cosmetic feature. It’s a meaningful indicator of identity, authority, and reputation. It’s a way of distinguishing between real and fake, between credible and dubious, and between influential and irrelevant.
Twitter needs to restore that meaning and distinction. It needs to reinstate a verification system that is based on objective criteria, not on subjective whims or financial incentives. It needs to apply those criteria consistently and transparently, not arbitrarily or secretly. Likewise, it needs to reward those who meet those criteria with respect and recognition, not with contempt or indifference.
Twitter needs to do this not only for the sake of its verified users, but also for the sake of its entire community. Verification is not just about individual accounts, but about the collective trust and quality of the platform. Verification is not just about who you are, but about what you stand for.
Twitter needs to stand for authenticity, notability, and activity. It needs to stand for verification, not commodification.
And it needs to do so without compromising its core features and values. Twitter is a platform for public conversation, where people can share their thoughts, opinions, and perspectives with the world. Twitter is a platform for discovery, where people can find and follow what interests them, from breaking news to niche topics. Twitter is a platform for expression, where people can be creative, humorous, and original with their content.
Twitter Blue threatens to undermine these aspects of Twitter by creating a two-tier system of users: those who can afford to pay for extra perks and privileges, and those who can’t. Twitter Blue risks alienating its loyal and engaged users who have made Twitter what it is today. Twitter Blue risks diluting its brand identity and reputation by selling out to the highest bidder.
Twitter Blue is not the solution that Twitter needs. It’s the problem that Elon Musk created.
Musk needs to rethink his Twitter strategy and listen to its community. He needs to focus on improving Twitter’s existing features and services, not on adding new ones that nobody asked for. He needs to address the issues and challenges that its users face every day, such as harassment, misinformation, and abuse. Furthermore, Musk needs to innovate and experiment with new ways of enhancing and enriching the Twitter experience, not monetising and exploiting it.
Musk needs to remember why Twitter exists and who it serves. He needs to remember its mission and vision. He needs to remember its values and principles. Twitter is not just a business, it’s a social network – whether you are verified or not.
