Now that Twitter Blue exists in France, two types of “certified” blue badge will coexist: one for those who pay €9.60 per month, and old verified accounts. To tell the difference, there is no choice but to click on it.
The same small blue badge can hide two distinct pieces of information. Since Elon Musk took over Twitter, the little certification badge has been at the heart of many debates about what a “verified account” really means.
Never to a paradox, the billionaire decided to charge his users to obtain the small badge, by subscribing to Twitter Blue, for 9.60 euros per month. He believes that this is a re-establishment of a democratic process, in opposition to the previous system which rewarded people ” having a genuine, notorious and active account “. It is however, de facto, to give more visibility to Internet users who have the means to pay for it.
Now on Twitter, the French accounts you see certified can belong to two categories:
- Followers of Twitter Blue
- Old verified accounts
Barack Obama has a “formerly verified” account
This little-known netizen has a paid Blue Twitter account
The distinction is not made at first glance: you have to click on the blue badge to find out the secrets of its attribution. For the first, you will read: This account is certified because it is subscribed to Twitter Blue. “For the second:” This account has been verified for some time. He may not be well known anymore. »
Another possibility is to install an extension like “Eight Dollars” on your browser (Chrome, Firefox, etc.). These make it easy to distinguish between real and fake verified accounts.
Who are the older, “perhaps more notorious” verified accounts?
It is also specified in Twitter’s terms of use that it ” will no longer accept new certification applications based on the old criteria », that is to say that there will be no more new accounts certified on the previous method: only those who pay can obtain the badge.
The old verified accounts should have, according to what Elon Musk assured a few months ago, completely disappeared. Nevertheless, the new boss of Twitter probably realized that this would generate monumental chaos on the platform – as questionable as they are, badges can sometimes quickly distinguish a real account from a fake.
By the way, the fact that old verified accounts keep the same look is, in itself, convenient for Twitter Blue followers, as it makes it easier for them to impersonate well-known or respected accounts. A point on which Musk is betting to make people want to subscribe.
Ironically, Elon Musk, who has a certified badge himself, is not paying for Twitter Blue. It features an old macaron. It would therefore have to be inferred, according to its own rules, that this account has been certified for some time, and may no longer be well known...
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