Twitter Introduces Grey Checkmark to Narrow in on Verified Accounts

As a result of Twitter‘s announcement that verified accounts with a blue checkmark will cost $8 a month, there have been concerns involving fake profiles that could purchase a subscription and deceive others into believing the account belongs to the person it pretends to be. For this reason, the company is considering implementing an ‘Official’ label, represented by a blue checkmark, to distinguish between authentic and false profiles.

In a tweet earlier today, Esther Crawford, director of product management, shared a screenshot showcasing the finalized label. It displayed Twitter’s own profile, complete with the usual blue verification badge next to its display name (which could be purchased by anyone for $8) and a grey verification badge with the word “Official” just underneath the account handle.

A lot of folks have asked about how you'll be able to distinguish between @TwitterBlue subscribers with blue checkmarks and accounts that are verified as official, which is why we’re introducing the “Official" label to select accounts when we launch. pic.twitter.com/0p2Ae5nWpO

— Esther Crawford ✨ (@esthercrawford) November 8, 2022

Furthermore, one thing to note here is that the grey tick won’t show up on individual tweets, so users will have to go through to the profile page to verify that they are dealing with an “authentic” account.

In addition to this, the grey checkmark will not be available to everyone. Twitter has decided that “government accounts, commercial companies, business partners, major media outlets, publishers, and some public figures” will be the only ones to receive this “official” label.  

However, Elon appears to have declared his position on press representatives and journalists when he stated that he does not believe that their credibility is any higher than that of anyone else, and hence they will not be eligible for the grey badge.

You represent the problem: journalists who think they are the only source of legitimate information. That’s the big lie.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 7, 2022

Twitter’s attempt to redefine the blue checkmark as a symbol of a subscribed user has been widely criticized as the current definition of the blue checkmark indicates that a user has been verified, particularly if they are a public figure. It remains to be seen, though, how this change plays out, and whether or not these “official” accounts have any further perks beyond an identity.