Blue checkmarks on Twitter no longer mean an account is authentic or verified

Twitter has today made blue checkmarks available to purchase as part of its revamped pay-monthly Twitter Blue subscription service, which now automatically applies a blue tick next to paying accounts, without any type of ID check, meaning that the blue badge is no longer a way to tell if an account is authentic.

In the past, users could trust that an account with a blue badge had been vetted by Twitter and genuinely belonged to whoever it claimed to be, whether that be an individual or a brand, but now, absolutely anyone can purchase a blue tick from Twitter, even if they aren’t who they say they are.

Because of this, the blue checkmark on Twitter can no longer be trusted as a way to determine if an account belongs to the person or brand it claims to represent. There is nothing stopping any user from opening an account and claiming to be the official Barack Obama or Dwayne Johnson, with nothing in place to differentiate a fan or spam account from the real person.

The move to sell blue badges has been heavily criticized by government officials, companies, brands, and influential individuals who see the decision by Twitter CEO Elon Musk as irresponsible, putting many high-profile Twitter users now at risk of impersonation and the spread of misinformation.

Moving forward, Twitter users should be cautious that a blue badge should no longer be seen as confirmation that an account represents who or what it claims to represent.