A number of football stars have lost their legacy blue checkmarks on Twitter as the platform’s new verification policy kicks off.
Asamoah Gyan, Michael Essien and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the football stars whose verification marks have been recalled.
On Wednesday, April 19, 2023, Twitter announced that it was going to remove all legacy checkmarks and urged its users to sign up for Twitter Blue for a fee.
Users on the social media platform will henceforth pay $8 per month for the badge, while companies could pay as high as $1,000 to get all their employees verified.
“Tomorrow, 4/20, we are removing legacy verified checkmarks. To remain verified on Twitter, individuals can sign up for Twitter Blue,” a statement from Twitter said.
The new verification policy took effect on Thursday, April 20, 2023, with many football stars and celebrities losing their checkmarks.
Ex-US President Donald Trump, billionaire Bill Gates and reality TV star Kim Kardashian have also lost their verified badges.
Elon Musk has been criticised for the new Twitter verification policy, which has made it open for everyone to be verified.
Meanwhile, NBA star Lebron James said he wouldn’t pay for the verification but has been given the blue tick, with Musk confirming he paid on behalf of the basketball player.
