Twitter recently imposed blue checkmarks, previously assigned only to people paying to use the site, on all users meeting a certain threshold of paid followers. And soon users assigned blue checkmarks will no longer be able to hide them.
The blue checkmark, originally a form of verification and implicit status, was turned into a paid feature after Elon Musk's takeover of the site. Initially resulting in a wave of impersonations, the icon became something of an embarrassment to anyone not an overt Musk fan: to have one suggested one was willing to pay to look important on Twitter. The site tried to push the symbol on popular users once before and backtracked, but eventually pushed them on accounts with more than a million followers and now to those with much smaller followings too.
Previously: Elon Musk slaps free Twitter Blue checks on critics, whether they want it or not
