Twitter restored the verified status with a blue checkmark of high-profile accounts on Sunday. However, many said this restoration was done without them paying for a subscription. Some users noted that this was being done for notable accounts with over one million followers.
Female education activist and Nobel laureate, Malala Yousafzai, tweeted,”I don’t know what happened but I’m happy to have my blue tick back so everyone knows I am still Malala.”
American economist and Nobel laureate, Paul Krugman, also noted on the social media platform, “So my blue check has reappeared. I had nothing to do with that, and am definitely not paying,”
Official accounts of Indian celebrities, sportspersons, and politicians too were restored. This includes Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Rajinikanth, Rahul Gandhi, Sachin Tendulkar, Ratan Tata, among others.
Also read: Twitter requires advertisers to have verified checkmark: Report
The social media platform had faced a huge backlash on Friday for ending its legacy verified process with a wide cross-section of users, including high-profile accounts losing their blue checkmarks. Many had expressed concerns that this will lead to the proliferation of imposter and parody accounts making it difficult for users to distinguish between official accounts.