Free blue checks are back for some accounts on Elon Musk’s X. Not everyone is happy about it

Musk said last week that all X accounts with more than 2,500 verified subscriber followers would get Premium features – which includes a checkmark – for free going forward, and that accounts with over 5,000 would get Premium for free. — AP

NEW YORK: Elon Musk's X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has begun restoring complimentary blue checks for some of its users, the latest unexpected shift to cause a lot of confusion on the platform.

For years, Twitter’s blue checks mirrored verification badges that are common on social media, largely reserved for celebrities, politicians and other influential accounts. That changed months after Musk bought the platform for US$44bil in October 2022.