Twitter’s blue check purge claims top political figures, risking impostors, states The Washington Post
Twitter started to remove verification marks from celebrities, journalists and public figures, delivering on a long-standing pledge by owner Elon Musk, reports The Washington Post.
According to The Post, Musk has derided the blue check marks, used by platforms across the tech industry to authenticate users’ identities, for creating a “lords & peasants system” and said that requiring that people pay for them “will democratize journalism & empower the voice of the people.”
But the move has stripped the verification of dozens of government officials and political figures — according to a review by The Post — whose accounts may now become bigger targets for impersonation.
That could stoke confusion about which messages are coming from official channels, which are often used to disseminate critical information to the public, especially during emergencies, adds The Post.
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