Micah LeeApr 24, 2023
How Elon Musk Turned the Blue Checkmark Into a Scarlet Letter
“The masses are not balking at paying for Twitter Blue because they’re trying to shelter themselves within a crumbling elitist internet order, but because they think Musk is offering an unworthy product and is also a dickhead.”
https://slate.com/technology/2023/04/elon-musk-twitter-blue-checkmarks-verification-lebron-james.html
Elon Musk’s Weekend-Long Masterclass in Business Failure

No one wants to pay for Twitter’s checkmark. It’s no mystery why.

Slate
Show threadNour Agha 
@micahflee Elon realized that the verified checkmark (Twitter Blue) and as a result the whole platform has no value if high profile people aren't 'verified'. He thought they would just pay up and was surprised (and furious) that they won't, so now he's forcing the badge on them. Maybe one day he'll also finally understand the definition of verification.
Apr 24, 2023 at 2:23amWeb
Show threadtoxtethogradyApr 24, 2023
@Nour @micahflee I guess he can force the badge on the unsuspecting, but if he tries to force them to pay, that's extortion. Or fraud. It makes him no better than Trump, but then I guess that's the whole idea...