After receiving a severe backlash from verified users who lost their blue checkmarks from their accounts, Twitter started to provide verification marks to celebrities. But this time, they are unwilling to accept it.

People who refused to have the verification badge include the rapper Lil Nas X, The New York Times, the scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson, journalist Kara Swisher, and satire account @dril, among others.

While people who have passed away have also had their verified status restored. Some of those accounts include Bob Saget, Kirstie Alley and Barbara Walters. 

Apparently, Elon Musk’s ignited chaos has largely damaged the honour and authenticity of the blue checkmark at a critical point when he has been eyeing to raise revenue from it. But the attempt proved otherwise as its advertising business witnessed a decline.

A number of high-profile personalities announced that they had been punished with the verification marks of Twitter, CNN reported.

People including actor Chrissy Teigen reported difficulties in attempting to remove the blue checkmark. She also tried to remove it by changing her display name and then ultimately met with success.

She wrote on Twitter: “It attached itself to me. How did it happen so fast? like the movie It Follows.”

The setback from a celebrity shows the gap in the strategy and execution of the plan and also shows how disconnected Elon Musk is from the high-profile Twitter users whose content has long kept the microblogging website afloat.

Cost of blue checkmark higher than revenue

After acquiring the social media giant for $44 billion last year, Musk said that the blue mark will not be only limited to high-profile users but to those who pay $8. 

He also said: “Power to the people! Blue for $8/month.”

The Twitter’s CEO’s decision to implement his plans were not welcomed. They had consequences such as a threat of spreading fake news via fake accounts made in the name of popular figures.

Similarly, Musk’s decisions have forced him to revert back to the old system where only a few had blue badges.

With the direction Musk has taken, those who have the badges are seen as loyal to the Twitter CEO but others are embarrassed to have badges on their account.

MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan noted on Twitter: “So, how do all the Musk fanboys and MAGA folks on this site feel about the fact that your conquering hero said he’d bring ‘equality’ and ‘people power’ to this site and then charged you all for Twitter Blue while giving it to people like me for free? Do you feel… owned?”

Many high-profile users have refused to pay for the badge — such as NYT and actor William Shatner — which paint a bleak picture of how would  Twitter raise its revenue parallel to the egalitarianism which Musk intended to promote.

People who refused to pay included LeBron James, Stephen King and Shatner. In response, Elon Musk said he was paying for their subscriptions.

The accounts that lost the mark were restored including President Joe Biden and Pope Francis with labels as “a government or multilateral organisation account.”

Nevertheless, it is a reminder that social media would not be democratised as Silicon Valley tried to do because there are still people who are to enjoy special privileges even on social media with reference to their status in the real world.