When Elon Musk took over Twitter last November, he quickly turned his attention to the platformB次元官网网址檚 highly sought-after status symbol: the blue verification check mark.
The seal of approval previously handed out to celebrities, politicians, journalists and other public figures was meant to reduce impersonation attempts, help users wade through high volumes of replies and likes and make it easier to ensure people arenB次元官网网址檛 duped by parody accounts.But Musk was intent on B次元官网网址渢reating everyone equallyB次元官网网址� and boosting the revenue of the US$44 billion social media platform he had just bought, so he announced last fall he would remove the check marks for users not paying for Twitter Blue. The platformB次元官网网址檚 premium subscription also offers an edit button, fewer ads and the ability to post longer videos.
Accounts impersonating Tesla, gaming giant Nintendo and pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly sprang up and paid for verification, pushing Musk to dump his check mark removal plans, but he revived them in April, yanking the symbol from accounts.
Some users were so angered they fled the platform, while others stuck around but lamented that the verification change along with several other moves Musk made that have shifted TwitterB次元官网网址檚 public image.
And then there were the people who decided to pay. The Canadian Press asked several what made them open up their wallets.
Guy Felicella
Felicella, a Vancouver-based harm reduction and recovery advocate with 15,300 followers, wasnB次元官网网址檛 drawn to subscribing to Twitter Blue because of the tick heB次元官网网址檇 see beside his username.
B次元官网网址淭hat blue check mark, they could take it away today. I couldnB次元官网网址檛 care less,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淚t doesnB次元官网网址檛 matter to me.B次元官网网址�
Instead, it was text-based two-factor authentication and the ability to publish longer tweets that drew him in to forking over $155 a year (users donB次元官网网址檛 need to pay for Blue to use an authenticator app). Felicella figured longer tweets mean more space for context and maybe, additional chances to connect with someone in need of his support.
Though some have left Twitter, heB次元官网网址檚 sticking with the platform because he wants to help counter misinformation, especially about drug use, that heB次元官网网址檚 seen spreading online.
B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檝e got to balance (the misinformation) out. I donB次元官网网址檛 want them to take over,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淚 keep saying IB次元官网网址檇 rather hang out here and ruffle some feathers than just walk away from it.B次元官网网址�
Jennifer Shaigec
The Calgary-based independent director at Teako Minerals Corp. and commodity specialist for CommonStock Inc. considers herself a B次元官网网址淭witter addict,B次元官网网址� using the platform daily and crediting it for helping her cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.
B次元官网网址淭here was always someone to talk to about a common interest,B次元官网网址� she said via a Twitter direct message.
Shaigec subscribed to Blue for the features, which have reduced her ads by 50 per cent, let her tweet more than 280 characters, given her an edit button and helped her sort bookmarked posts by topic.
B次元官网网址淲ith the volume of tweets that I send out and the number I read daily, the Twitter Blue features seem to improve my efficiency on the app,B次元官网网址� she said.
But she added theyB次元官网网址檙e B次元官网网址渕ore of a luxuryB次元官网网址� than a necessity.
B次元官网网址淪o I can understand why some are expressing dismay that the blue check mark is geared toward the elite B次元官网网址� or those that can more easily afford the subscription price.B次元官网网址�
Heather Stefanson
ManitobaB次元官网网址檚 premier still has her blue check mark B次元官网网址� a decision her communications team made to B次元官网网址減rotect the integrity of the account,B次元官网网址� a spokesperson said in an email.
B次元官网网址淭he subscription is covered by the PC Party of Manitoba B次元官网网址� not taxpayers,B次元官网网址� the spokesperson added.
Daniel Foch
The Keswick, Ont. real estate agent with 26,700 followers decided to shell out for a monthly subscription in March, after Twitter stopped text message-based two-factor authentication for users not paying for Blue.
By then, he had grown fed up with fake accounts impersonating people and peddling cryptocurrency scams and hoped Blue might cut down on such instances.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 get messages from people all the time telling me that thereB次元官网网址檚 this fake account. ItB次元官网网址檚 actually crazy how many times IB次元官网网址檇 get those messages,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淚f it eliminates that, thatB次元官网网址檚 worth it to me.B次元官网网址�
He still spots impersonators but feels the check mark gives his profile an added layer of authenticity and is part of a growing move toward paying for verification on other platforms.
Meta announced in February that it will charge Facebook and Instagram users to have verified accounts.
Simu Liu
The B次元官网网址淜imB次元官网网址檚 ConvenienceB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淪hang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten RingsB次元官网网址� star shared in mid-April that a misunderstanding about changes to two-factor authentication led him to open his wallet.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 still blue because I thought I had to pay to retain two-factor authentication. They got me,B次元官网网址� he wrote in a tweet he ended with a sad face.
Olumuyiwa Igbalajobi
The Calgary-based founder of Scholarships Cafe, a platform connecting people with scholarships and other academic opportunities, tried to get verified by Twitter about five times over the last few years to help his work reach more people.
He submitted newspaper articles he appeared in and information about his work in academia, but still couldnB次元官网网址檛 convince Twitter to give him the mark until Musk opened up verification to users paying $11 in November.
B次元官网网址淲hen I saw the opportunity to get a tick, I felt like it was time,B次元官网网址� Igbalajobi said.
He doesnB次元官网网址檛 think Twitter Blue has given his tweets more exposure or sent any more opportunities his way than having a non-verified account would, but likes that it allows him to send longer tweets.
B次元官网网址淎 couple of days ago I made a list of the top 25 scholarships in Canada and I didnB次元官网网址檛 have to split those tweets,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淚 could do that within two minutes.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址擳ara Deschamps, The Canadian Press
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