In 2009, Twitter Inc. introduced a blue check mark next to some users’ names to signal that they were “verified” by the company as legitimate accounts. At least initially, it was a bid to clamp down on handles run by impersonators. Since then, the check mark has become a status signal, amplifying the voices of those who have it and leading some to question the decisions to grant one.
When billionaire Elon Musk took over the social media platform last year, the check mark gained new meaning, becoming a symbol of the turmoil engulfing the company, the financial challenges it now faces and how all things on the social-media platform are being monetized. Musk is now granting status to anyone willing to pay a monthly subscription fee.
