Elon Musk Confuses Celebrities On Twitter –
Twitter accounts with more than one million followers have had blue ticks reinstated by owner Elon Musk without having to pay a subscription fee – confusing celebrities across the world.
Elon Musk removed all ‘legacy’ blue ticks from accounts this week, leaving celebrities and other significant public figures including Beyoncé, Harry Kane and Victoria Beckham with no sign that their accounts are genuine.
Before Musk took over the firm in October – after paying $44billion – blue ticks were given to verify that accounts claiming to be celebrities, organisations or professionals such as journalists were who they said they were.
But the multi-billionaire recently scrapped this system and instead began a paid subscription service where any account could sign up for ‘Twitter Blue’ and receive the check mark.
In what appears to be a climbdown for Musk, verification marks reappeared on accounts with more than one million followers overnight. It comes after he previously revealed he was paying for several high-profile accounts’ blue ticks despite them not having paid for subscription.
Twitter Blue is available to all Twitter users for around $8 per month – with the ‘legacy verified’ accounts losing their status this week.
But the initial launch of the service did not go as planned, with a huge influx of imposter accounts – meaning it had to be postponed and then relaunched at the end of November.
Many celebrities in the UK have expressed surprise after waking up to find their tick reinstated – with many rushing to reassure fans that they have not paid for them.
And some have pointed out that other accounts with fewer than one million followers have also had their tick reinstated – seemingly at Musk’s discretion.
The billionaire tweeted ‘Check mate’ last night shortly before the ticks were brought back.
TV star and presenter Rylan Clark was among those confused after waking up on Sunday morning.
He tweeted: ‘Hold up. Why is my blue tick back?’. Alongside a selfie in his dressing gown he added: ‘I’m ill and this is pranging me oouuut.’
Comedian Dara O’Brien said on Sunday that he had never had a blue tick in the first place – but awoke to see one on his account for the first time.
He told his followers: ‘So, despite never ever actually having had a blue tick, (I liked the idea that I might have been a parody account all this time) I wake up this morning to find I have been given one.
‘That is peculiar. No, I haven’t paid, nor requested it. Can I get into nightclubs now?’
