X, formerly Twitter, is letting verified users hide their verification badges.
Verified users noticed this week that a new option appeared in their profile settings. The “hide your blue checkmark” option lets users hide the fact they pay for X/Twitter.
“The checkmark will be hidden on your profile and posts. The checkmark may still appear in some places, and some features could still reveal you have an active subscription. Some features may not be available while your checkmark is hidden,” the description of the setting reads.
The verification system, known as Twitter Blue, gives users access to a verification badge and several other features by paying an $8 monthly subscription fee. The feature is still not supremely popular on the site. Users often see a blue check mark as a sign the user is a fan of X owner Elon Musk, and many users resent the fact that people can pay to have their content boosted on the site.
Mr. Musk this year changed the way verification worked. Originally, Twitter users were verified after a lengthy vetting process by moderators. The blue check badge signified that the operator of the account was legitimate. In the aftermath of the changes, where anyone with money could purchase verification, many fake profiles were launched that caused confusion for weeks.
The change comes as Mr. Musk is rebranding Twitter to X, the “everything app.” Twitter Blue will at some undetermined time be known as X Blue.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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