Late Bryant and Chadwick Boseman Accounts Also 'Verified'
Twitter Verification Policy Changes Continue to Cause Confusion
Confusion surrounding Twitter's official account verification mark, the 'blue check,' continues, and now another controversy has arisen as it has been confirmed that deceased celebrities' accounts have been marked with the verification badge.
On the 23rd (local time), according to US media outlet The Hill and the UK daily The Guardian, it was confirmed that the Twitter accounts of famous individuals who passed away, including American NBA basketball star Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in 2020, actor Chadwick Boseman, known for the movie 'Black Panther,' rapper Mac Miller, renowned chef and broadcaster Anthony Bourdain, and Saudi Arabian dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, all had blue check marks. Each account page also included a description stating, "Account subscribed to Twitter Blue and phone number verified."
A blue checkmark is displayed next to Elon Musk's Twitter account name. [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]
Twitter introduced the paid service 'Blue Check' last November. This service allows users to pay $7.99 per month (approximately 10,500 KRW) to receive a 'blue check' verifying their account as authentic. However, since the blue check was granted without any significant identity verification as long as the fee was paid, there was an influx of impersonation accounts causing damage. Ultimately, Twitter suspended the service six days after its introduction and later resumed it.
Twitter expected that monetizing the blue check would increase revenue. However, the reality was different. Revenue growth was minimal, and instead, user cancellations increased in response. Furthermore, when Twitter removed the blue check marks from accounts not subscribed to the paid Blue service starting on the 20th, backlash intensified.
As of the 20th, Pope Francis, 'Harry Potter' author JK Rowling, pop star Beyonc?, soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo, rapper Jay-Z, and broadcaster Oprah Winfrey all lost their blue check marks. Conversely, some users reported having blue checks despite not subscribing to the paid service. Elon Musk, Twitter's owner, revealed on the 21st that he personally paid for verification services on accounts such as NBA star LeBron James, actor William Shatner, and author Stephen King.
Over the past weekend, Twitter's verification policy was reversed again. According to The Guardian, nearly all celebrities with over one million followers received verification marks regardless of whether they paid for the service.
Regarding this, The Guardian reported, "Since the same verification mark is attached to celebrity accounts regardless of whether they are paid or free users, and the description states 'verified through subscription to the Blue service,' criticism has arisen that this constitutes false advertising."
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