Twitter Adds Blue Verified Checks to People Who Passed Away

Microblogging platform Twitter has struggled since being taken over by eccentric billionaire Elon Musk. Troubled started brewing when Musk said users need to pay for the coveted blue “verified” checkmark, adding that legacy checks would remain in place. That changed last week when the legacy verifications disappeared from prominent accounts.

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Twitter Blue Verification Checks Reinstated

But now something strange is happening. Some celebrities and well-known people are having their Twitter Blue verification checks reinstated even though they insist they didn’t pay the $8 a month.

To make matters worse, the checks have been added to the accounts of celebrities and sports stars who have passed away. A few notable examples are the account of Chadwick Boseman, Kobe Bryant and Anthony Bourdain.

Navigating to the profile, the blue checkmark is prominent on the page, and when you click on it, Twitter explains that “this account is verified because they are subscribed to Twitter Blue and verified their phone number.” It’s easy to argue that it can be a representative or spokesperson, but in the case of Bourdain, the account has seen no activity since 2018.

Opposed by Others

Author Neil Gaiman, creator of hugely successful pop culture works, such as The Sandman, American Gods and Good Omens, lamented that Twitter had become a “sad, muddled place” after he, too, received the blue check. “For the curious, I’m not subscribed to Twitter Blue,” he tweeted.

Actor Ron Perlman had harsher words for Musk. “Just for the record, I have not subscribed to Twitter, blue, nor will I ever. Dear Elon: Creepy people do creepy things. Best regards, Ron,” he tweeted over the weekend.

Who’s responsible for seemingly adding the paid-for feature to those who oppose it? Musk is behind a number of them. He replied to a tweet about the complimentary Twitter Blue subscription, saying, “I’m paying for a few personally.”