Elon Musk’s plan for Twitter Blue reach the whole world has suffered its setbacks, but little by little it seems to be heading. But the curious thing about the subscription to the social network is that one of its future functions would hide its most important feature: the blue verified mark.
The researcher Alessandro Paluzzi found clues that suggest that Twitter is working on incorporating an option for users to decide whether or not they want to show the verification badge on their profile. The new feature would be part of a broader package of utilities to manage the benefits of being a Twitter Blue subscriber.
As it is a tool under development, it is not known in what terms it will reach users. Or if it will even come. Not only because it is a function that could be merely experimental, but because the personnel cuts applied by Elon Musk have made it very difficult to meet the timelines for the launch of previously promised functions.
That said, it is still curious that the possibility of this new Twitter Blue function is being considered in the company. Especially after the comings and goings around the verification process and to the controversy that was generated by awarding a blue badge to all who were willing to pay the subscription.
Twitter Blue could let you hide the verified badge
As soon as Elon Musk arrived, everyone who joined Twitter Blue did so with the sole motivation of obtaining the infamous blue mark. Something that quickly became a problem due to the appearance of fake accounts, and that forced to implement several changes on the fly.
Some of the tycoon’s ideas, like the failed second check mark for official profiles, were hilarious. Although the platform later settled for a more rational option: differentiating subscribers, companies, organizations or government figures with different colors.
The truth is that the blue badge of Twitter Blue it has also become fuel for toxicity on the social network. Those who subscribe to the service for legitimate reasons—because they want access to the option to edit tweets or post videos with better quality, for example—are often harassed or singled out. Especially when they participate in discussions about hot or sensitive topics. And not to mention when they publish a tweet that goes viral; the responses are usually brutal.
A crucial change could come to the Twitter subscription
When Elon Musk announced his version of Twitter Blue, many warned that giving everyone who paid a blue badge would backfire. That is, the brand would lose all its value because it had been created for a much more important purpose than being a status symbol. If the social network incorporates the option to hide it, it will end up agreeing with those critics.
The other side of the coin is that there may be more people willing to join Twitter Blue if you have the option to hide the verified. Maybe because the check Blue doesn’t care. Or because they are not willing to be singled out for wanting to take advantage of the additional features that the service offers.