Twitter in the age of Musk: Celebrities don’t want to pay for blue verification

William Shatner, Monica Lewinsky and other Twitter personalities, some high-profile and lesser-known journalists, may soon lose the blue badges that prove their support on the social media platform.

Users can pay up to $11 per month for these features. But some longtime users, like 92-year-old Star Trek legend Shatner, have resisted buying into the premium service promoted by billionaire Twitter owner and CEO Elon Musk.

After months of delays, Musk happily promised that Saturday was the deadline for celebrities, journalists and other verified users to pay or lose their estates.

“It will be honorable,” he tweeted Monday in response to a Twitter user who pointed out that Saturday is also April Fool’s Day.

After acquiring Twitter for $44 billion in October, Musk has sought to boost the platform’s revenue by forcing more people to pay subscription bonuses.

But his actions also vindicate his claim that the blue stamp has become a symbol of undeserved or “corrupt” status for certain people and journalists.

In addition to celebrity verification, one of Twitter’s free account verification accounts has been around for about 14 years, and it has been authentic for politicians, activists, and journalists to check misinformation from account imposters.

Lewinsky said Sunday that she “sees” all the people who raved about her, even those who at least seemed to give her a blue check.

Shatner, known for his irreverent humor, also posted Musk complaining about the promised change.

“For 15 years here, I gave my (watching emoji) and fun ideas for nothing,” he wrote. “Now you want me to give you something for free that you gave me?”

Musk replied that there shouldn’t be any other type of celebrity. “More about treating everyone equally,” Musk tweeted.

Currently, those who still have blue roles but apparently haven’t paid the extra fee include Beyoncé, Stephen King, Barack and Michelle Obama, Taylor Swift, Tucker Carlson, Drake and Musk Myself, with a message on their profile that says they are a “verified heritage” reason. It probably doesn’t matter.”