KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Twitter announced it will remove Blue Checkmarks from millions of legacy verified accounts Saturday, and the decision isn’t sitting well with some users.
The only option to keep the checkmark is to pay for Twitter Blue. Subscriptions for individuals cost $8 a month plus tax for the badge. The monthly membership also gives users other perks, like 2-factor authentication.
Businesses will have to pay much more to be verified. Companies that are currently unverified will have to cough up $1,000 a month to get a gold checkmark added to their account.
Twitter’s owner, Elon Musk has said he expects Twitter Blue to help the company make money.
Not everyone agrees Musk’s monthly membership is worth it, including Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“When are they taking away our check? 🤣🤣,” Mahomes tweeted Friday morning.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling responded to the tweet, telling Mahomes to “Pay $8 for the guys.”
“Can’t bro i got kids…,” Mahomes tweeted back.
Mahomes isn’t the only NFL player to mention Twitter’s plan to charge for Blue Checkmarks.
Former Kansas City Chiefs and current Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill seems just fine dropping the verification from his popular @cheetah handle.
“For $8 bucks y’all can have this blue check mark, I don’t need no kind of plan 😂,” Hill tweeted.
NBA superstar LeBron James also doesn’t plan on paying to keep the Twitter checkmark around.
“Welp guess my blue ✔️ will be gone soon cause if you know me I ain’t paying the 5. 🤷🏽♂️,” James tweeted Friday morning.
Mahomes has 2.4 million Twitter followers compared to Lebron’s 52.8 million.
Meanwhile, former Chief and current Chicago Bears, wide receiver Daurice Fountain said he has the perfect answer.
“Lmao freak twitter and this blue check, that’s why Instagram better anyway 😂😂😂,” Fountain tweeted.
