Elon Musk‘s crusade to remove Twitter’s blue checkmarks from legacy verified accounts is going into overdrive … with a couple notable casualties among the celebrity ranks.
Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian and K-pop supergroup BLACKPINK all had their blue checks stripped Thursday from their official Twitter accounts.
Elon targeted April 20 as the date for removing legacy blue checkmarks, announcing his intentions earlier this month, but lots of folks weren’t sure if the bird app would actually follow through … and now the reckoning is here.
For years, Twitter’s blue checks were coveted … they used to serve as the social media platform’s official verification system, distinguishing prominent public figures from all the normies.
But, after buying Twitter for $44 billion, Elon decided to go in a different direction … he’s now charging folks $8 a month for subscriptions that come with blue checkmarks, and getting rid of the legacy checkmarks.
Tons of celebs have railed against Elon’s policy … including LeBron James, who said he wouldn’t pay for a blue check, only for him to switch course.
TMZ.com
Meanwhile, there’s a feeling in Hollywood and around the country that the Twitter Blue defection could spark a cool-kids movement amongst the unverified.