Twitter’s Blue Ticks are now so toxic that paid users can choose to hide them
Twitter — now renamed X by owner and ex-CEO Elon Musk — is making a change to its Twitter Blue verification check for paid subscribers, and it’s one that downplays the entire purpose of Twitter Blue in the first place.
The social media giant, if you can still call it that, has updated its “About Twitter Blue” page with details on how paid users can hide their blue verification checkmarks.
According to the help page: “As a subscriber, you can choose to hide your check mark on your account. The checkmark will be hidden on your profile and messages. The check mark may still appear in some places and some features may still reveal that you have an active subscription. Some features may not be available while your check is hidden. We will continue to develop this feature to make it better for you.”
However, as you can see, the process is not foolproof as the checkmark may still be visible in some cases. You also don’t have access to certain features, but which features they are has not been disclosed at this time.
For Blue subscribers, you can change the option to hide your tick by going to your ‘Account Settings’ and then ‘Profile Customization’. According to Twitter user and app reverse engineer, this feature is in the works as far back as March 2023 Alessandro Paluzzi. In mid-July 2023, he even posted a screenshot of the option to hide checkmarks.
#Twitter continues to work on the ability to hide your blue tick, the setting has also been added to the web app 👀 pic.twitter.com/qP5hHeuUgkJuly 20, 2023
The inherent ridiculousness of hiding check marks
The concept of being able to hide your Blue status is beyond ridiculous. On the one hand, if you just want the benefits of the subscription without the notoriety, then it makes sense to uncheck it.
However, for the vast majority of paid users, having the checkmark to show off was part of its “glory.” The feature was introduced not only to make money but also to satisfy those who wanted status on Twitter without having to earn it.
I assume the huge response from paid Blue users led to this option being implemented. From the #blocktheblue Twitter campaign to Chrome extensions that let you instantly block those with checkmarks, and more, Blue users have repeatedly been told by action that no one really takes them seriously.
This latest installment comes on the heels of Musk’s controversial decision to rebrand Twitter as X, which has angered many users and even caused Microsoft’s Edge browser to display a security warning over the icon change.
And the irony of users clamoring for the supposed prestige of a blue check mark and paying for it, only to have to hide that same “status symbol” feels like another case of Musk shooting himself, and Twitter/X, in the foot.