X, formerly Twitter, lets users hide once-vaunted blue check
- The ticks used to mark verified accounts of users such as celebrities and politicians, but became available to anyone with a subscription after Musk’s takeover
- Other paid-for features, such as tweets longer than 280 characters, may still allow Blue subscribers to be identified even if their tick has been hidden
Users on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, will now be allowed to hide their once-prized blue ticks, the company says.
A coveted status symbol at Twitter before Elon Musk bought the company, the blue checks have been mocked by some as a sign that the user is willing to pay for special treatment.
“As a subscriber, you can choose to hide your checkmark on your account,” an X help page said on Wednesday.
“The checkmark will be hidden on your profile and posts.”
Blue ticks, long free at Twitter, were intended to signal the identity of certain users – such as journalists, celebrities and politicians – had been verified in an effort to build trust in the platform.
But Musk decried that as a “lords & peasants system”, and opened up access to the ticks to anyone who paid for a Blue subscription – an US$8 per month programme which gives users access to other special features as well.