Twitter’s “official” grey checkmarks seem to be returning to accounts belonging to businesses, publications, and other prominent personalities. On November 9th, the website released its official badges – the ones that can only be obtained via its new $8 Blue membership programme. But, only a few hours later, it suspended the rollout and removed them from accounts that already had them. Twitter VP Esther Crawford indicated that the checkmarks would return; however, the social network would only distribute them to “government and business institutions” at first.
According to reports, the emblem has begun to resurface on brand and corporation accounts such as Coca-and Cola’s Nintendo of America. The grey checkmark is also visible on Twitter’s own accounts. And several magazines, like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and Wired, now have them. It’s unclear if the rollout has genuinely begun this time, or whether it’s related to the deluge of imposter and parody accounts that have inundated the website since its $8 verification began.
