Only 28 new Twitter Blue subscriptions – now Musk also ticks dead and risks lawsuits

On April 20, 2023, which is celebrated in the USA as stoner day, Elon Musk not only sent the world’s largest rocket to date into space. Musk also had the blue ticks removed from Twitter that day, which had previously certified the authenticity of the corresponding accounts.

Now blue ticks are displayed on accounts of primarily private users if they pay a subscription fee. This is between eight and ten euros per month in Germany.

The so-called Twitter Blue subscription has other advantages in addition to the ticks, such as the fact that subscribers can post longer tweets and videos and their tweets are ranked higher and distributed more widely. You can also edit the posts afterwards and apply exclusive formatting.

So far, however, all of this does not seem to have sparked any additional interest among Twitter users in replacing the lost hook with a paid one. Within the first two days after removing the tick, there should have been just 28 new subscriptions.

At least that’s what analyzes by independent researcher Travis Brown and NBC reporter Ben Collins show disseminated had been. According to this, there were around 407,000 blue ticks by April 20th. Among them were 19,469 Twitter Blue subscribers.

A day later, Brown counted 19,497 blue ticks—an increase of 28 accounts. Research by Similarweb show, however, that Twitter could still complete several thousand Twitter Blue subscriptions per day. However, the number of Twitter accounts deactivated every day amounts to tens of thousands.

In addition, users report that after canceling their Twitter Blue subscriptions, they simply kept the blue tick. Here too, according to observers, the chaos in the Twitter headquarters can be seen after most of the employees had been fired.

In order to further fuel interest in Twitter-Blue, Musk has resorted to publicity measures in the past few days, which could not only cause displeasure among those affected, but possibly also lawsuits.

Musk initially gave horror novelist Stephen King, basketball player Lebron James and William “Captain Kirk” Shattner blue ticks – apparently by waiving the subscription fee due. King specifically pointed out that – contrary to what is suggested – he had neither taken out the subscription nor provided his telephone number.

Musk then arguably went a step further by giving Twitter blues status to all Twitter users with over a million followers — even dead ones. Because the accounts of Michael Jackson, Chadwick Boseman, Kirstie Alley and Kobe Bryant also received the blue tick (back).

However, because the Twitter blue tick suggests that someone has subscribed here and left their phone number – which the dead cannot do, could be viewed as deliberate deception. And that’s punishable in the US if it’s done by a company to push subscription numbers, for example.

In addition, Musk seems to like to give a blue tick to those who have dealt critically with it. In Germany, for example, the Twitter account Volksverpetzer has a blue tick with around 350,000 followers. There one assumes a connection with a critical one Article on using Twitter Blue.

Also obviously have accounts get a blue tick, which announced that they would now block everyone who has a blue tick. Another troll attempt by Elon Musk? Musk to it: “What, I’m a troll?” – garnished with a salmon smiley.

yes good What else is there to say?