Twitter’s operation to remove blue checks from legacy verified accounts that didn’t sign up for Twitter Blue appears to have been partially reversed.
As the BBC reports, various celebrities and accounts with more than 1 million followers have had their verified ticks reinstated. They include Beyonce, the Pope, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Bill Gates. Some notable figures like LeBron James and Stephen King managed to keep their verified badge free of charge despite the purge, reportedly as a courtesy from Twitter CEO Elon Musk.
The move to reinstate blue checkmarks prompted surprise and disbelief from those who had to bat down allegations that they had paid $8 for the privilege of a verified badge.
In March, Musk announced that legacy verified checkmarks would be removed starting April 1, but the only casualty early in the month was The New York Times. Twitter removed its verified checkmark after the news outlet said it wouldn’t pay the fees for organizational accounts, and all checkmarks remained until Twitter began removing them en masse on April 20.
Last month, after Star Trek actor William Shatner complained about having to pay to keep his blue checkmark, Musk tweeted that he was personally paying for the accounts of LeBron James, Stephen King, and Shatner.
The removal of legacy blue ticks reportedly had to be done manually. According to former employees who spoke to The Washington Post, the removal of verification badges draws on a large internal database similar to an Excel spreadsheet that has a history of breaking. When the database breaks, workers reportedly have to “explore workarounds.”
Twitter, which now replies to press emails with a poop emoji, did not immediately respond to PCMag’s request for comment.