Celebrities, media houses, lose verified status as new Twitter rules take effect

Twitter on Thursday began removing legacy blue checkmarks from user profiles, with famous people including pop icon Beyonce and Pope Francis losing their verified statuses.

Locally, notable personalities, media houses and journalists also lost their verification status after failing to subscribe to the $8 Twitter Blue. Among the personalities whose accounts are unverified include CNN journalist Larry Madowo, lawyers Miguna Miguna and Ahmednasir Abdullahi, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, NARC Kenya's Martha Karua and others. 

Under Elon Musk's ownership, Twitter has changed how it hands out the coveted blue checkmarks that were earlier given to noted individuals, journalists, executives, politicians and establishments after verifying their identities. They served as a mark of authenticity.

Musk said in November that Twitter will begin charging $8 per month for the badge in an effort to launch new revenue streams beyond advertising.

The company later offered check-marks in other colors - gold for businesses and a gray for government and multilateral organizations and officials.

It has also started displaying labels like "state-affiliated" and "automated by" against accounts to show when an account is linked to a government or is a bot.

Some personalities who have lost the blue check mark have vowed not to pay. 

"My 'legacy verified' checkmark is gone," wrote Madowo. "Still not paying. This was fun"

My “legacy verified” checkmark is gone.

Still not paying. This was fun pic.twitter.com/Gwhg2v2jKX

— Larry Madowo (@LarryMadowo) April 20, 2023

Miguna Miguna said: 

Goodbye @verified blue tick. I’m not paying @elonmusk one red cent for the blue tick!

— Dr. Miguna Miguna (@MigunaMiguna) April 20, 2023