Several well-known Twitter voices who stood against the paid Twitter Blue option recently received a verification badge along with a paid subscription, according to Rozetked. This twist sparked renewed attention on how the platform handles blue checks and what they mean in practice for visibility and credibility.
Collectors of online opinion noted that a portion of users who oppose Twitter Blue—tagging the movement with the hashtag #BlockTheBlue—had themselves acquired verified status through paid subscriptions. Among these are personalities like @dril, @MattBinder, and @hasanthehun, who previously described Twitter Blue subscribers as “mindless jerks.” They urged their followers to block anyone who paid for the service in exchange for a blue check, framing the move as a protest against perceived gatekeeping.
In a surprising turn, the activists who had rejected the paid system were shown with verification as Blue followers. Some observers claim they did not pay for the service and are unsure how the badge appeared on their accounts. Within hours, the blue check on @dril’s account vanished, while other competitors continued to display their status, highlighting the unsettled and inconsistent application of the feature across accounts.
Twitter and the management team led by Elon Musk have not issued a public statement clarifying whether subscriptions contribute to verification or how misattributions might occur. The silence leaves questions about the integrity and reliability of the blue check as a signal of authenticity for users in North America and beyond.
The #BlockTheBlue campaign emerged in response to the shift that made blue checkmarks a perk tied to a paid subscription rather than a universal indicator granted by the platform. Before this change, blue checks were typically awarded to celebrities, organizations, politicians, and public figures after a verification process that weighed identity and public interest.
Reports from outlets like socialbites.ca indicated that Twitter signaled a withdrawal of blue checks from some public figures who did not maintain a paid subscription, citing names such as Pope Francis and Bill Gates as examples. This development has intensified debates about the role of verification in online trust, information dissemination, and accountability across North American audiences.