Twitter is ending a verification system that gave blue check marks to accounts it had determined were authentic and in the public interest, the company said Thursday.
Twitter will begin winding down the system April 1.
The check marks, which were free, are now available through Twitter Blue — a subscription service the company launched last year.
Under the previous program, celebrities, officials, journalists and others the company considered notable could request verification. News feeds, fans, parodies and other similar accounts were ineligible.
CEO Elon Musk introduced Twitter Blue shortly after he bought Twitter in October, describing it as a way to boost revenue and halt trolls and bots.
The $8-per-month service, which also allows users to edit and undo tweets, was quickly pulled after impersonators flourished. It was relaunched in December.
Twitter Blue doesn't require accounts to be notable. Criteria for the service include being non-deceptive, active and older than 90 days.
But the change might not be quite as dramatic as first thought. Musk added early Friday morning that users "affiliated with a verified organization" will still be verified.
That could mean many professionals who use Twitter will either retain their verification check marks or be issued new ones.
Matt Navarra, a social media consultant, also noticed that Twitter Blue subscribers will be able to hide their verification check marks if they so choose.
