The checkmark mania has begun

Twitter's new checkmark system is inspiring other platforms...

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay (with added blue filter and purple check mark design)

Where do I begin?

A number of Twitter users started taking advantage of the overhauled Twitter Blue plan by obtaining a blue checkmark and impersonating celebrities and politicians. The plan, which now costs $8 per month, has caused confusion about whether accounts on the platform are legitimate.

For example, an account with a blue checkmark using the name LeBron James demanded a trade, thanked Lakers fans, and claimed he was returning to Cleveland.

Twitter has a solution though: a grey “official” checkmark to denote legitimate accounts. As you can imagine, not all deserving accounts have access to such yet. Its implementation has been chaotic to say the least. Elon Musk, in his own words, “killed it” momentarily.

Now the fun part…