- Twitter disassociates itself from its original objective with the withdrawal of verification of users not subscribed to Twitter Blue
- Some celebrities refuse to pay for verification, increasing the risk of phishing
- The importance of verification to prevent identity theft on the Twitter platform
April 1st is known as joke day on the internet, but this year brands aren’t the only ones wanting to pull a prank. Twitter will start removing blue checks from verified users if they don’t sign up for Twitter Blue, prompting outrage from some celebrities. While Twitter’s verification system was originally created to protect celebrities from spoofing, the company now seems to be disassociating itself from that goal.
Celebrities Against Subscription
Twitter launched its verification system in 2009 to protect celebrities from phishing, but now the company seems to be backing away from that goal. Twitter will start removing blue checks from verified users if they don’t sign up for Twitter Blue, prompting outrage from some celebrities.
Despite the fact that some users disagree with the new subscription, there are those who refuse to pay for the blue check, claiming that their large number of followers serves as verification. LeBron James, among many others, was one of the first celebrities to be impersonated on a Twitter Blue verified account, proving that verification is not a complete guarantee against phishing.
The phishing problem is serious and many people, including some celebrities, don’t want to pay for verification because they don’t want their account to appear less authentic. Although verification is not a complete guarantee against phishing, many believe it is an important step in preventing this from happening.
Do you think that celebrities have enough reasons not to have to pay for Twitter Blue and that their number of followers confirms the authenticity of their profile?