Elon Musk forced to backtrack after LeBron James refuses to pay for verification

21 April 2023 , 08:53

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LeBron James is refusing to pay for Twitter (Image: Getty Images)

Elon Musk is paying for LeBron James' Twitter Blue subscription "personally" after the basketball legend refused to cough up the cash.

Twitter chief Musk unverified millions of accounts on Thursday and is demanding users to pay £7.99 to be verified. The move has been heavily criticised, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bill Gates, Kylian Mbappe and Hillary Clinton losing their blue tick.

James confirmed he would not pay for Twitter Blue if Musk removed his verification in March. That left fans perplexed when his blue tick was still in place after Thursday's purge, but Musk has now confirmed: "I'm paying for a few personally."

The row between James and Musk started when Twitter confirmed they would wind down their "legacy verified program" from April. Musk added: "It’s more about treating everyone equally. There shouldn’t be a different standard for celebrities in my opinion."

James was quizzed on whether he would pay for verification, to which he wrote: "Well guess my blue tick will be gone soon cause if you know me, I ain't paying the five."

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Yet fans were staggered when James' blue tick was still there on Thursday. Musk has now clarified the situation, with other celebrities also receiving a freebie. American novelist Stephen King is among those to remain verified on the social media platform.

Elon Musk has controversially stripped celebrities of their verification on Twitter (AFP via Getty Images)

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"My Twitter account says I've subscribed to Twitter Blue," wrote King. "I haven't. My Twitter account says I've given a phone number. I haven't." Musk replied: "You're welcome namaste."

Musk's decision to ditch Twitter's "legacy verified program" will leave public figures vulnerable to impersonation, which is why the platform introduced blue ticks in 2009. Verification quickly became a status symbol on the platform due to it's exclusivity.

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Musk completed a takeover of Twitter last year and quickly established Twitter Blue to allow anyone to become verified. In response, celebrities are now ditching the platform. Mason Mount, who has 1.8 million followers, has confirmed he will be deleting his account.

"Over the years I've thoroughly enjoyed connecting with you all on Twitter," the Chelsea midfielder wrote in a final tweet on Thursday. "Sadly, the platform is changing so I have decided to delete my account... take care, Mason."

It is unclear whether Twitter will reintroduce their "legacy verified program" or establish an alternative for celebrities to use. Organisations remain verified through the new gold tick system, while individuals can become affiliates of an organisation.

So, in theory, James could become an affiliate of Los Angeles Lakers, and Ronaldo could become an affiliate of Al-Nassr. Twitter became a social media giant because it allowed fans to communicate with celebrities, a trait the platform won't want to lose.

Tom Blow