The decision by Twitter to remove legacy, unpaid blue ticks has generated debate. Anupam Mittal, a businessman from India, complained about Twitter after the social networking site removed the blue tick verification mark from his profile. He expressed his dissatisfaction on Twitter and even said that he would forgo his intentions to buy a Tesla car as a result. “Am canceling my planned purchase of a Tesla,” the Shark Tank judge from India wrote in her post.
Since entrepreneur Elon Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion and let go of many of its employees, Twitter’s decision to remove legacy, unpaid blue ticks has generated criticism. The blue tick previously served as authentication for Twitter-verified accounts.
However, as part of Musk’s efforts to boost sales, it was taken down last week. Users conjectured that accounts with a million subscribers would automatically receive the label, but there seemed to be some outliers. Ryan Reynolds, an actor with more than 21 million followers, no longer displays the blue tick that he once did.
Some Twitter users found Mittal’s remark amusing, while others advised him to just pay for the verification badge instead of whining. Some people told him that since his own business charges for premium access, he shouldn’t gripe about these perks.
Many Indian superstars lost their verified blue ticks on their Twitter accounts, including the cricketers Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar, the actors’ Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, and Alia Bhatt, and the politician Rahul Gandhi. However, after they signed up for Twitter Blue and confirmed their phone number, the blue tick was added back to their profile.
According to Twitter, their accounts have been confirmed because they have validated their phone numbers and subscribed to Twitter Blue.
Although they are not ubiquitous, Tesla automobiles are already owned by a large number of Indians. The first well-known Indian celebrity to acquire a Tesla is Essar Group CEO Prashant Ruia. Riteish Deshmukh, an actor, was one of the first people in India to purchase a Tesla, while Mukesh Ambani is said to have two of the sought-after vehicles.
Some Twitter users have voiced their displeasure about the company’s decision to remove the blue tick verification mark. While it is unclear whether Anupam Mittal will truly abandon his plans to buy a Tesla, it is certain that some of the social media giant’s fans do not agree with the company’s decision.
