Twitter CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that all celebrities, public figures, and other ‘legacy verified’ accounts are to be stripped of their blue tick next week.
There is a catch though – they’ll get to keep it if they pay for Twitter Blue.
The social media platform first introduced the now-famous ‘blue tick’ verification symbol all the way back in 2009 – which was about three years after the site was launched – so that individuals, businesses, organisations, and accounts of notability could prove their identity.
But in recent months, after the highly-publicised takeover by multi-billionaire founder and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk, Twitter users will have likely noticed the colour of a lot of these verification symbols for certain official accounts changing from blue to grey/silver and gold.
At the start of 2023, Twitter began rolling out a grey tick verification mark for government-related accounts, and a golden tick mark for companies.
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Twitter CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that all ‘legacy verified’ accounts will lose their blue tick next week / Credit: Flickr
The classic ‘blue tick’, according to a statement on the Twitter website, was then left to mean that the account was either ‘legacy verified’ – with celebrities, public figures, notable people, and accounts verified prior to changes, falling under this category – or that the account has an active subscription to Twitter Blue and meets the platform’s eligibility requirements.
Twitter Blue is what the company calls its “premium subscription service” that adds a blue tick to the account of those pay for it, and, apparently, offers early access to select features.
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Twitter first confirmed that, from the start of this month, it would be “winding down” its legacy verification program, and that accounts that were verified under the previous criteria will not retain a blue checkmark unless they are subscribed to Twitter Blue – but now, Elon Musk has announced the official cut-off date.
Final date for removing legacy Blue checks is 4/20
The South African-born entrepreneur took to Twitter last night to confirm that legacy blue ticks would be officially be removed on Thursday 20 April, if the accounts are not subscribed to and meet the criteria for Twitter Blue by then.
The 51-year-old has also today sat down for a last-minute interview with the BBC, after the corporation contacted the social media giant earlier this week to query the designation of the @BBC account as ‘government funded media’, asking Twitter to resolve the issue “as soon as possible”.
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“The BBC is, and always has been, independent. We are funded by the British public through the licence fee,” the broadcaster said in its statement.
Musk told BBC North America tech reporter, James Clayton, in his televised interview this morning that he doesn’t want Twitter to amplify “some anointed class of journalists” who determine what constitutes news, adding that he is “hopeful this can be more a case of the public choosing the narrative, as opposed to the media choosing the narrative.
The Twitter CEO confirmed they would be adjusting the label for the BBC to “publicly-funded”, as the company is “trying to be accurate”.
He also told James Clayton that he actually does “have a lot of respect for the BBC,” and admitted that the interview was “a good opportunity to ask some questions” and “to get some feedback on what we should be doing different”.
Salford City manager delivers X-rated, fiery and inspiring speech in new behind-the-scenes series
Danny Jones
Salford City FC manager Karl Robinson delivered an extremely passionate and X-rated dressing room speech to his players in a recent clip taken from the club’s new behind-the-scenes series.
The Salford City boss has divided opinion among the supporters during his time in charge at the Peninsula Stadium, but it’s fair to say this no-holds-barred clip will have at least won over a few.
Robinson has been the head coach of The Ammies since January 2024 and missed out on playoff places by just a single point last term, but the Greater Manchester side has made a strong start to the new League Two campaign.
Claiming 16 points from their first eight fixtures, with only Swindon Town and Gillingham having notched more thus far, it seems a fire has been lit under his squad. It would certainly seem to be the case – at least judging by this new footage, anyway…
Looks really good so far lads absolutely love this
What you see above is a snippet from just the second episode of SCFC’s new ‘This Is Salford’ online show, which debuted this season and lifts the lid on City, Robinson, co-owner Gary Neville (who has helped produce the digital series) and more.
Although it’s not quite on the scale of the famous Class of ’92: Out of Their League programme and Full Time spin-off special aired on television over the past decade, the recurring YouTube documentary will chronicle matchdays and much more.
The club have also explained that the digital-only show will also be split into two sub-sections; one is the kind of matchday coverage already shared, with the promise that it will always be released within “36 hours of the final whistle”.
Secondly, there will be This Is Salford: ‘Our Story‘ episodes, which they describe as sharing “a deeper level of storytelling, following players, coaches and club staff on everything from transfers to causes they’re passionate about.” Think Welcome to Wrexham, perhaps.
It just so happens the latest instalment caught the 45-year-old’s fuming rant following comments made by a player on the way back into the dugout.
While some fans have responded by commenting, “I’m pretty sure they didn’t want this kind of changing room” – citing past straight-talking managers who went on to be dismissed – the reception has been largely positive, with another replying: “I love the way Robbo commands the dressing room.”
Speaking via club media this week, Neville teased the series as going further in the amount they intend to reveal compared to the likes of Manchester City’s All Or Nothing or Together: Treble Winners docuseries, for instance.
Admittedly, not everyone has been convinced by the reaction from Robinson captured during their away trip to Notts County back on 9 August, going on to win the game 2-1.
One person accused him of ‘blagging’ and possibly playing up his anger towards the camera, while others have already seen it as evidence backing up why they have performed well thus far. Either way, they were victorious on the night and are currently third in the table.
Neville reiterated that “We need to get this out there as it happens. It needs to be in real time. It’s their Salford, it’s the fans’ Salford, and we want to show it.”
You can watch the episode in full and see what exactly sparked the fiery speech by Karl Robinson on the Salford City YouTube channel down below.
Featured Images — Salford City FC (screenshots via YouTube)
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Didsbury favourite Rustik has confirmed its will sadly be closing this month
Danny Jones
West Didsbury favourite Rustik has sadly announced it will be closing for food after a decade at the end of this month.
The beloved Burton cafe and bar has been a staple of the tight-knit foodie neighbourhood since 2015, but now the independent Irish eatery has confirmed that the business will be shutting down permanently in less than a fortnight.
Confirmed on Wednesday afternoon, 17 September, the casual Manc restaurant and hangout informed their loyal followers of the unfortunate news.
Unsurprisingly, their social media has been awash with condolences, collective sadness and support for the local institution.
Posting across all of their accounts, Rustik wrote: “After an unforgettable 10 years on Burton Road, the time has come to close our doors. It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come — never in a million years did we imagine Rustik would grow into what it became.
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to every single one of you who walked through our doors and supported us along the way. We poured everything we had — our time, our energy, our lives into making Rustik a space for everyone. And what a ride it’s been.
“From the chaotic, beautiful brunch shifts to late nights dancing on tables to ‘Wagon Wheel’, pushing through the challenges of COVID and helping our community with meals during hard times— we’ve done it all, together.
“To our amazing staff, past and present: thank you for your hard work, your dedication, and the love you brought every single day. You helped build something truly special, and we’ll never be able to thank you enough.
“To the incredible musicians who filled our space with life — keep doing what you do. The noise complaints? 100% worth the unforgettable nights.”
The team go on to detail that the official closing date is Tuesday, 30 September, reiterating that it is “business running as usual until then” and urging fans to “come down, grab your last Rustik fix, and raise a glass with us one final time.”
Signing off with an emotional farewell, they add: “Lastly, a message close to our hearts: please support your local cafes, bars, and independents. Hospitality is tough right now, and they need your support more than ever.
“Thank you for the most incredible decade of our lives. It’s over and out from us.”
It goes without saying that we’re gutted to see Rustik go and know how much it meant not only to the Burton Road community, but also to the Didsbury community, Chorlton and many other Greater Manchester natives.
Emily Sergeant -
12th April 2023 
