Twitter users have been navigating a wave of fake accounts after the social media giant removed the legacy blue ticks. Now, users have noticed a new inconsistency: the profiles of deceased celebrities holding paid verification accounts. The blue ticks have been granted to personalities such as celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain and National Basketball Association player Kobe Bryant, who passed away in 2018 and 2020, respectively. The addition of blue ticks for profiles of people like prominent journalist and columnist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in 2018, has angered many users. While it was stated that the accounts were verified because they subscribed to Twitter Blue and verified their phone number, it was not clear who paid for the $8-a-month service, with the accounts not having been active for years.
Other deceased celebrities, including singer Michael Jackson, comic book artist Stan Lee, and actor Chadwick Boseman, also had blue ticks on their accounts. However, those accounts have been actively managed by others on their behalf. Twitter has not provided any explanation for why these profiles were granted blue ticks, but the platform's owner, Elon Musk, has previously stated that he is "personally paying" for the Twitter Blue subscriptions of users who have criticized the paid-subscription's rollout.
Twitter's move to charge advertisers for verification or require a minimum monthly spend on ads has also alienated the platform's advertisers. Unfortunately, Twitter did not meaningfully respond to a request for comment as the platform no longer has a communications team. Overall, the confusion and inconsistencies surrounding Twitter's verification process have raised concerns about the platform's credibility and ability to effectively manage its user base.