Twitter removed blue legacy checkmarks from non-paying users’ accounts on Thursday, weeks after the Elon Musk-owned company initially announced that the changes would begin.
The company confirmed on Wednesday that it would begin removing the blue checkmarks from users who didn’t pay for the company’s subscription service, Twitter Blue. By midday Thursday, checkmarks had begun to disappear from non-paying accounts.
Before Musk took Twitter private, blue checkmarks were limited to notable figures in government, media, or who were otherwise in the public eye and ran a heightened risk of impersonation. Musk said Twitter Blue would offer the option for paid verification shortly after he completed his $44 billion takeover of the social media site.
The changeover means that only paying subscribers who have “verified” their phone number will be entitled to Twitter verification and a blue checkmark. Government accounts and some corporate accounts will still maintain verification through a separate set of icons, in silver and gold, respectively.
