Some Nigerian celebrities who lost their verification badges for failure to subscribe to Twitter Blue have gotten their blue ticks back, leaving many wondering about the reason for the restoration.
Twitter’s Chief Executive, Elon Musk introduced a paid verification policy for the micro-blogging platform which took effect on Thursday, April 20.
Consequently, many high-profile users who were hesitant to subscribe to the new service lost their blue badges, which is a mark of the authenticity of their accounts.
The West African Pilot News reports that many local and international celebrities including musicians, actors, comedians and media personalities, as well as politicians and government agencies were affected by the implementation of the new policy.
However, on Saturday, several celebrities and prominent figures regained their blue ticks, without signing up for the paid verification.
Tick tick 💥
If you know, you know— Kate Amaka Henshaw (@HenshawKate) April 23, 2023
How did my blue tick reappear 🤔
— Ebuka Obi-Uchendu (@Ebuka) April 23, 2023
This is not acceptable. I did not subscribe to Twitter blue and find this extremely deceptive.
It better not be that someone can pay on my behalf. That will be a breach of my privacy pic.twitter.com/F6UmR14lMK
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) April 22, 2023
Others that have had their verification badges reinstated include Davido, AY, Burna Boy, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, Funke Akindele, Vice President Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, 2023 presidential aspirants Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, and President-elect Bola Tinubu, among others.
The Twitter accounts of some official Nigerian government agencies have also had their blue ticks restored, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC; and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
There are unverified reports that the blue ticks were reinstated for accounts with over one million followers. It is still unclear whether the lucky accounts will be required to subscribe to the premium service in the coming days or if they would enjoy the benefits of the service free of charge.
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