Twitter removes verified badges from users who don’t pay — here’s what that means for the Sun-Times

After several false starts, Twitter began making good on its promise Thursday, April 20, 2023, to remove the blue checks from accounts that don’t pay a monthly fee to keep them. (AP)

Goodbye, blue checks.

Twitter started removing verified badges Thursday from users who don’t subscribe to the social media’s paid subscription service Twitter Blue.

In the past, the blue check next to a profile’s name, which didn’t cost anything, had been a way for users to verify an account was determined by Twitter to be authentic and run by the person or organization tied to it. Now, users who pay $8 a month for Twitter Blue receive the check.

Those who don’t pay — including many public figures, politicians and journalists — are now losing their verification badges.

This includes Chicago Sun-Times reporters and editors, as well as the paper’s sports account and breaking news account.

For now, the Sun-Times’ main account still has a gold checkmark, signaling it’s an organization verified by Twitter. However, the site has said organizations will eventually have to pay $1,000 a month to keep their badges, plus an additional $50 a month for each affiliated account.

The Sun-Times continues to post to Twitter, and staff accounts can be found on this Twitter list.

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