© 2026 ABC News

Following a revamp of Twitter Blue last year, now any user who pays a monthly subscription fee automatically gets a check mark – regardless of the relevancy of the account. For months now, new Twitter Blue subscribers enjoyed verified status alongside the “legacy” blue check accounts. But starting in April, the company said any existing blue check accounts that don't subscribe to Twitter Blue will have to pay up – or lose the check.

“Starting April 1, 2023, we’ll begin winding down our legacy verification program,” reads Twitter’s help page. It goes on to detail the process by which users can receive a blue check. Accounts must be older than 30 days, for example. They also “may not impersonate individuals, groups or organizations to mislead, confuse or deceive others, nor use a fake identity in a manner that disrupts the experience of others on Twitter.”

Musk said charging for verification is part of an attempt to cut down on automated spam accounts, known as “bots.” In a recent tweet, Musk wrote that “paid account social media will be the only social media that matters.”

\"STOCK
STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images
STOCK PHOTO: Twitter's Blue checkmark
>

At the same time, Twitter has rolled out additional gray and gold check marks, intended to verify government and business accounts. The official White House Twitter account, for example, currently displays a gray check mark. ABC News, meanwhile, has a gold check.

But Silberling says tying blue checks to payment still leaves the door open to impersonation and misinformation on the platform.

“The blue check is essentially just going to lose its meaning,” she said, adding that users now bear more responsibility in determining which accounts are real on the platform.

“It’s always a good thing if social media users are aware of what they’re reading, and is it true,” said Silberling. “But also part of the job of social media platforms is to make it more difficult for misinformation to circulate, and I don’t think that Twitter is doing a great job of that right now.”

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Technology/twitter-begins-phasing-legacy-blue-check-marks-latest/story?id=98244725","legacySlug":"/news/story/twitter-begins-phasing-legacy-blue-check-marks-latest-98244725","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"09:22","publishDate":"04-01-2023","updatedTime":"14:57","updatedDate":"04-01-2023","socialImage":{"alt":"A Twitter logo hangs outside the company's offices in San Francisco, Dec. 19, 2022.","credit":"Jeff Chiu/AP, FILE","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Technology/twitter-blue-check-logo-ap-gty-mz-05-230327_1680271009988_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"4/1/2023 09:22:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":98244725,"headline":"Legacy 'blue check marks' phased out on Twitter","mediaAssetTitle":"AUDIO-TWITTER-CHECKMARK-SUBSCRIPTION-COMING","description":"The update has prompted misinformation concerns.","duration":"1:49","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2023/04/230401_gma_ejiochi_817_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["135812210","135707633","135382432"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"August 20, 2026","headline":"Fantasy football players serving their time for coming in last place","section":"News","slug":"/video/135812210","id":"135812210","image":{"alt":"With millions of fantasy football leagues around the world, the quest to generate the most unique and hilarious last place punishment has become an annual internet tradition.","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/football_fantasy_gmafl_260820_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"With millions of fantasy football leagues around the world, the quest to generate the most unique and hilarious last place punishment has become an annual internet tradition.","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/football_fantasy_gmafl_260820_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/football_fantasy_gmafl_260820_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/football_fantasy_gmafl_260820_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/football_fantasy_gmafl_260820_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/football_fantasy_gmafl_260820_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/football_fantasy_gmafl_260820_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/football_fantasy_gmafl_260820_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/football_fantasy_gmafl_260820_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/football_fantasy_gmafl_260820_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"August 17, 2026","headline":"'Dance Dance Revolution' ignites sibling rivalry","section":"News","slug":"/video/135707633","id":"135707633","image":{"alt":"Millions on social media turned to watch a sibling rivalry take center stage in a Dance Dance Revolution battle.","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/dance_danny_gmafl_260817_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"Millions on social media turned to watch a sibling rivalry take center stage in a Dance Dance Revolution battle.","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/dance_danny_gmafl_260817_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/dance_danny_gmafl_260817_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/dance_danny_gmafl_260817_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/dance_danny_gmafl_260817_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/dance_danny_gmafl_260817_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/dance_danny_gmafl_260817_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/dance_danny_gmafl_260817_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/dance_danny_gmafl_260817_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/dance_danny_gmafl_260817_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"August 5, 2026","headline":"New Jersey sues Amazon","section":"News","slug":"/video/135382432","id":"135382432","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: New Jersey sues Amazon","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260805_gma_norwood2_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: New Jersey sues Amazon","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260805_gma_norwood2_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260805_gma_norwood2_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260805_gma_norwood2_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260805_gma_norwood2_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260805_gma_norwood2_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260805_gma_norwood2_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260805_gma_norwood2_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260805_gma_norwood2_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260805_gma_norwood2_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Legacy 'blue check marks' phased out on Twitter","description":"The update has prompted misinformation concerns.","duration":"1:49","uploadDate":"04-01-2023","publication":"04-01-2023","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2023/04/230401_gma_ejiochi_817_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2023/04/230401_gma_ejiochi_817_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/twitter-begins-phasing-legacy-blue-check-marks-latest-98244725"}},"playlist":[{"id":"135940652","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135916584","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135835493","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135803895","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135768595","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135739178","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135734125","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135706030","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135592333","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135619397","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135617187","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135574939","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135591318","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135555293","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135548166","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135545791","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135521103","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135515317","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135453822","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135450294","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Legacy 'blue check marks' phased out on Twitter","pubTime":"05:22","pubDate":"04-01-2023","modTime":"10:57","modDate":"04-01-2023","taxonomyTags":"none","id":98244725,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Legacy 'blue check marks' phased out on Twitter","mediaAssetTitle":"AUDIO-TWITTER-CHECKMARK-SUBSCRIPTION-COMING","videoId":98244725,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/twitter-begins-phasing-legacy-blue-check-marks-latest-98244725"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/98244725","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/98244725","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};