Twitter Blue now available worldwide, previous blue checkmarks will disappear

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Twitter has announced that the paid Twitter Blue program is now available worldwide. This has consequences for people who already had a verified account: their blue check mark will be removed from next week.

Gonny van der Zwaag | iCulture.nl – March 24, 2023, 9:07 AM · Last updated: 11:09 whatsappfacebooktwittertelegramlinkedinmailprint

Twitter Blue now available everywhere

Several months after it officially launched in a handful of countries, Twitter has now announced that the Twitter Blue program is available worldwide. Previously, the payment option was limited to about fifty countries. Those willing to pay for their Twitter account get a ‘Verified’ checkmark, rank higher in searches, get less advertising, the ability to edit tweets, post longer videos, and write long messages. write up to 4,000 characters in length. You can also customize the navigation and save bookmarks in folders.

Since the beginning of March, Twitter Blue has also been available in the Netherlands and Belgium. for 8.47 euros per month. At that time, more than twenty European countries were added, including Ireland, Austria, Greece, the Scandinavian countries and numerous smaller countries in Southern and Eastern Europe. Initially, Twitter Blue led to chaos: countless fake and parody accounts surfaced, claiming to be ‘verified’ while they had only created a paid account. There was no check whether they were the right person. After Twitter had taken measures, the program was restarted a month later.

Previous blue ticks disappear

Now that Twitter Blue is available worldwide, something is about to change for people who have had a blue check mark for years. Twitter has announced that the previous verification program is being discontinued. This means that the blue check mark will disappear for people who have previously had their account verified based on ID card. This program was intended for prominent people and organizations who wanted to show that they were authentic. Those who want to keep the check mark will have to pull out the wallet for the normal Twitter Blue program or the corporate Twitter Verified Organizations program. The latter costs $1,000 per month plus taxes in the US and $50 per month for additional accounts. Organizations then receive a gold or gray check mark. Our own Twitter account @iCulture has a (golden) check mark, but that too will disappear from next week, unless we pay $1,000 a month for it. It is one of the methods by which owner Elon Musk wants to get out of debt, now that some of the advertisers have left.

Twitter introduced the verified accounts program back in 2009 to ensure that the accounts of politicians, artists and news organizations are genuine. Participation was free, but the criteria for approval were rather vague. It seemed to mainly concern accounts of general interest, such as journalists and opinion formers, although it was also used as a status symbol. According to Musk, this system was “corrupt” and the checkmark should only be awarded to individuals who are simply willing to pay for it. Before the paid Twitter Blue program started, there were approximately 420,000 verified accounts. Elon Musk's very first memo to Twitter staff suggests that half of revenue must come from subscription fees, “otherwise there is a high probability that Twitter will not survive the oncoming economic downturn”. People who want to support Musk during these difficult times can sign up here.

To use Twitter on your iPhone, there is only the official app of the company itself. The various third party Twitter apps for iPhone and iPad have been discontinued, as the company has stopped providing data. If you prefer to chat on another social network, there are several Twitter alternatives.

See also

Time to go? Get cozy again with these Twitter alternatives

Tired of Twitter? Then take a look at these alternatives, which also allow you to stay in touch with like-minded people and talk about topics that concern you. Almost all of them have apps for iPhone and iPad!