Twitter Celebrities Refuse to Pay Elon Musk for Verification Badge
In recent years, social media has become a powerful tool for celebrities to connect with their fans and promote their brand. One of the most popular social media platforms is Twitter, where celebrities can share their thoughts, opinions, and updates with their followers. However, with the rise of fake accounts and impersonators, Twitter introduced a verification badge to help users identify authentic accounts.
The verification badge is a blue checkmark that appears next to a user’s name on Twitter. It indicates that the account is authentic and belongs to the person or organization it claims to be. The verification process used to be exclusive and only available to high-profile individuals such as politicians, journalists, and celebrities. However, in 2021, Twitter opened up the verification process to all users who meet their criteria.
Despite the new policy, Twitter CEO Elon Musk announced that he would be charging users for the verification badge. Musk tweeted that the fee would be “a few thousand dollars” and that it would go towards “improving the verification process.” This announcement caused outrage among Twitter users, especially celebrities who felt that they should not have to pay for the badge.
Many Twitter celebrities took to the platform to express their displeasure with Musk’s decision. Some argued that the verification badge was a way for Twitter to ensure that their accounts were authentic and that they should not have to pay for it. Others pointed out that they had already worked hard to build their brand and audience on the platform, and that the badge was just a way for Twitter to profit off their success.
One of the most vocal critics of Musk’s decision was actor and comedian Kumail Nanjiani. Nanjiani tweeted that he would not be paying for the verification badge and that he would rather donate the money to charity. He also called on other celebrities to join him in refusing to pay for the badge.
Other celebrities who have spoken out against the fee include actress Jameela Jamil, comedian Sarah Silverman, and musician Questlove. Jamil tweeted that the fee was “ridiculous” and that it was “just another way for rich people to get richer.” Silverman also criticized the fee, saying that it was “gross” and that Twitter should be doing more to protect users from harassment and abuse.
Despite the backlash, Musk has not backed down from his decision to charge for the verification badge. In a follow-up tweet, he stated that the fee was necessary to prevent people from gaming the system and creating fake accounts. He also clarified that the fee would only apply to businesses and individuals who wanted to verify their accounts, and that regular users would not be affected.
In conclusion, the decision by Elon Musk to charge for the Twitter verification badge has caused controversy among celebrities and users alike. While some argue that the fee is necessary to improve the verification process, others feel that it is unfair to charge for a badge that is meant to ensure authenticity. It remains to be seen how this issue will be resolved, but one thing is clear: Twitter celebrities are not willing to pay for their blue checkmark.
