Social media platform Twitter has removed the verified blue ticks from all unpaid accounts.

From now on, the only blue tick profiles which one shall be able to see are the ones who are paying for Twitter Blue, at a cost of which costs USD 8 per month online or USD 11 per month through the in-app payment on iOS and Android.

With these changes being implemented, several Bollywood stars such as Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Alia Bhatt and politicians like Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and cricketers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are among those who have no longer have the verified blue ticks on Twitter.

Before, the blue tick was a way of shielding famous personalities from being impersonated online and cutting down on fake news about themselves. In March this year, Twitter had posted on their official handle, “On April 1st, we will begin winding down our legacy verified program and removing legacy verified checkmarks. To keep your blue checkmark on Twitter, individuals can sign up for Twitter Blue.”

Globally, Beyonce and Ronaldo are some of the individuals whose blue ticks have been removed. Many individuals also openly stated that they would not be paying for the Blue Tick, while others announced that they would leave the platform. Ironically, Twitter head Elon Musk announced that he shall be personally paying for the accounts of certain celebrities who refused to pay themselves- namely, William Shatner, Stephen King, and LeBron James.

“Just Shatner, LeBron and King,” Musk had tweeted.

“My Twitter account says I’ve subscribed to Twitter Blue,” author Stephen King, who has criticized Musk in the past had tweeted. “I haven’t. My Twitter account says I’ve given a phone number. I haven’t.”

“You’re welcome namaste,” Musk responded to him on Twitter.

The blue tick was started in 2009 so that politicians, celebrities, organizations, brands and others which were of ‘public interest’ would be recognized as being genuine and not accounts by impersonators. Previously there was no charge for receiving the blue tick.

Musk had announced Twitter Blue with the check-mark badge as one of the major changes within two weeks of taking over the social media platform last year. It remains to be seen if any of these actors, politicians and famous personalities would pay to get their blue check mark back and whether they make any comments regarding the same on their official accounts.