Twitter’s verification process has once again come under scrutiny as dead celebrities’ accounts are being verified with blue ticks. This has caused confusion among users, who are already struggling to navigate a flurry of fake accounts after the removal of legacy blue ticks. Despite being inactive for years, the accounts of late personalities like Anthony Bourdain, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jackson, Stan Lee, and Chadwick Boseman have been given verified status.
The explanation provided with the ticks suggests that the accounts have been subscribed to Twitter Blue and verified through their phone numbers. However, it is not clear who paid for the $8-a-month service. Some users are questioning whether this is a tactic to boost the popularity of the Twitter Blue subscription service, which has received criticism from some high-profile users.
While some accounts have been managed by others on behalf of the deceased celebrities, no reason for the verification of others has been provided. The platform’s billionaire owner, Elon Musk, has previously stated that he is personally paying for the Twitter Blue subscriptions of users like LeBron James, Stephen King, and William Shatner, who have criticized the paid-subscription rollout. This has led to speculation that Musk may be behind the verification of these dead celebrities’ accounts as well.
Twitter, which no longer has a communications team, has not meaningfully responded to a request for comment on this matter. The platform’s decision to charge advertisers for verification or reach a minimum monthly spend on ads has also led to advertisers feeling alienated. This has added to the growing sense of discontent among users, who are calling for greater transparency and consistency in Twitter’s verification process.
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