When Elon Musk took over Twitter last November, he quickly turned his attention to the platform91裸聊视频檚 highly sought-after status symbol: the blue verification check mark.
The seal of approval previously handed out to celebrities, politicians, journalists and other public figures was meant to reduce impersonation attempts, help users wade through high volumes of replies and likes and make it easier to ensure people aren91裸聊视频檛 duped by parody accounts.But Musk was intent on 91裸聊视频渢reating everyone equally91裸聊视频� and boosting the revenue of the US$44 billion social media platform he had just bought, so he announced last fall he would remove the check marks for users not paying for Twitter Blue. The platform91裸聊视频檚 premium subscription also offers an edit button, fewer ads and the ability to post longer videos.
Accounts impersonating Tesla, gaming giant Nintendo and pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly sprang up and paid for verification, pushing Musk to dump his check mark removal plans, but he revived them in April, yanking the symbol from accounts.
Some users were so angered they fled the platform, while others stuck around but lamented that the verification change along with several other moves Musk made that have shifted Twitter91裸聊视频檚 public image.
And then there were the people who decided to pay. The Canadian Press asked several what made them open up their wallets.
Guy Felicella
Felicella, a Vancouver-based harm reduction and recovery advocate with 15,300 followers, wasn91裸聊视频檛 drawn to subscribing to Twitter Blue because of the tick he91裸聊视频檇 see beside his username.
91裸聊视频淭hat blue check mark, they could take it away today. I couldn91裸聊视频檛 care less,91裸聊视频� he said.
91裸聊视频淚t doesn91裸聊视频檛 matter to me.91裸聊视频�
Instead, it was text-based two-factor authentication and the ability to publish longer tweets that drew him in to forking over $155 a year (users don91裸聊视频檛 need to pay for Blue to use an authenticator app). Felicella figured longer tweets mean more space for context and maybe, additional chances to connect with someone in need of his support.
Though some have left Twitter, he91裸聊视频檚 sticking with the platform because he wants to help counter misinformation, especially about drug use, that he91裸聊视频檚 seen spreading online.
91裸聊视频淵ou91裸聊视频檝e got to balance (the misinformation) out. I don91裸聊视频檛 want them to take over,91裸聊视频� he said.
91裸聊视频淚 keep saying I91裸聊视频檇 rather hang out here and ruffle some feathers than just walk away from it.91裸聊视频�
Jennifer Shaigec
The Calgary-based independent director at Teako Minerals Corp. and commodity specialist for CommonStock Inc. considers herself a 91裸聊视频淭witter addict,91裸聊视频� using the platform daily and crediting it for helping her cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.
91裸聊视频淭here was always someone to talk to about a common interest,91裸聊视频� she said via a Twitter direct message.
Shaigec subscribed to Blue for the features, which have reduced her ads by 50 per cent, let her tweet more than 280 characters, given her an edit button and helped her sort bookmarked posts by topic.
91裸聊视频淲ith the volume of tweets that I send out and the number I read daily, the Twitter Blue features seem to improve my efficiency on the app,91裸聊视频� she said.
But she added they91裸聊视频檙e 91裸聊视频渕ore of a luxury91裸聊视频� than a necessity.
91裸聊视频淪o I can understand why some are expressing dismay that the blue check mark is geared toward the elite 91裸聊视频� or those that can more easily afford the subscription price.91裸聊视频�
Heather Stefanson
Manitoba91裸聊视频檚 premier still has her blue check mark 91裸聊视频� a decision her communications team made to 91裸聊视频減rotect the integrity of the account,91裸聊视频� a spokesperson said in an email.
91裸聊视频淭he subscription is covered by the PC Party of Manitoba 91裸聊视频� not taxpayers,91裸聊视频� the spokesperson added.
Daniel Foch
The Keswick, Ont. real estate agent with 26,700 followers decided to shell out for a monthly subscription in March, after Twitter stopped text message-based two-factor authentication for users not paying for Blue.
By then, he had grown fed up with fake accounts impersonating people and peddling cryptocurrency scams and hoped Blue might cut down on such instances.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檇 get messages from people all the time telling me that there91裸聊视频檚 this fake account. It91裸聊视频檚 actually crazy how many times I91裸聊视频檇 get those messages,91裸聊视频� he said.
91裸聊视频淚f it eliminates that, that91裸聊视频檚 worth it to me.91裸聊视频�
He still spots impersonators but feels the check mark gives his profile an added layer of authenticity and is part of a growing move toward paying for verification on other platforms.
Meta announced in February that it will charge Facebook and Instagram users to have verified accounts.
Simu Liu
The 91裸聊视频淜im91裸聊视频檚 Convenience91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淪hang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings91裸聊视频� star shared in mid-April that a misunderstanding about changes to two-factor authentication led him to open his wallet.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 still blue because I thought I had to pay to retain two-factor authentication. They got me,91裸聊视频� he wrote in a tweet he ended with a sad face.
Olumuyiwa Igbalajobi
The Calgary-based founder of Scholarships Cafe, a platform connecting people with scholarships and other academic opportunities, tried to get verified by Twitter about five times over the last few years to help his work reach more people.
He submitted newspaper articles he appeared in and information about his work in academia, but still couldn91裸聊视频檛 convince Twitter to give him the mark until Musk opened up verification to users paying $11 in November.
91裸聊视频淲hen I saw the opportunity to get a tick, I felt like it was time,91裸聊视频� Igbalajobi said.
He doesn91裸聊视频檛 think Twitter Blue has given his tweets more exposure or sent any more opportunities his way than having a non-verified account would, but likes that it allows him to send longer tweets.
91裸聊视频淎 couple of days ago I made a list of the top 25 scholarships in Canada and I didn91裸聊视频檛 have to split those tweets,91裸聊视频� he said.
91裸聊视频淚 could do that within two minutes.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频擳ara Deschamps, The Canadian Press
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