The recent controversy surrounding Elon Musk’s overhaul of Twitter’s verification system has ignited a fierce backlash from Premier League stars and other high-profile users who lost their iconic blue checkmarks.

This dramatic shift, part of Musk’s broader plan to make Twitter more profitable, has deeply unsettled many notable figures who view the changes as detrimental to the platform’s integrity and user experience.

On April 20, 2025, Twitter removed the blue verification badges from numerous accounts that had not subscribed to the Twitter Blue service, which costs $8 per month.

This move was designed to curb fake accounts and bots, while also dismantling what Musk described as the “feudal system” that previously limited verification to celebrities, journalists, businesses, and other prominent figures.

However, the implementation has been far from smooth, leading to widespread confusion and criticism.

Among the most vocal critics are Premier League footballers who rely heavily on Twitter to connect with fans and share their professional and personal lives.

Aymeric Laporte, the Spanish center-back for Manchester City with over 768,000 followers, expressed his frustration bluntly in a tweet: “Damn it Elon, what have you done?” When a user suggested he should just pay the $8 fee, Laporte responded sharply, “I won’t pay for something that was perfectly fine before some crazy guy decided to change everything.”

Laporte’s discontent reflects a broader sentiment among players who see the new system as unfair and unnecessary.

Just a day prior, Laporte had contributed as a substitute in Manchester City’s 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final second leg, helping his team advance to the semi-finals against Real Madrid.

His teammate Riyad Mahrez, another high-profile player with over 3.

8 million Twitter followers, also criticized the changes: “Lost it once, not afraid to lose it again.

I won’t pay for these weird ideas.”

The frustrations extend beyond Manchester City.

Mason Mount, Chelsea’s English midfielder, announced his decision to delete his Twitter account altogether.

“Over the years, I’ve enjoyed connecting with all of you on Twitter,” Mount wrote.

“Sadly, the platform is changing, so I’ve decided to delete my account.”

This move underscores the growing dissatisfaction with Twitter’s new direction among professional athletes.

Not all public figures have rejected the new system, however.

Gary Lineker, former England striker and current BBC Match of the Day presenter, revealed that he subscribed to Twitter Blue.

Responding to a user explaining the benefits of the subscription, such as the ability to edit tweets within 30 minutes, Lineker simply wrote, “Me too.”

This shows a pragmatic acceptance by some users who see value in the paid features despite the controversy.

Manchester City declined to comment on the situation when approached by Insider, leaving the club’s official stance ambiguous amid the turmoil.

The ripple effects of the blue checkmark removal have extended to the biggest names worldwide.

Cristiano Ronaldo, boasting over 108 million followers, also lost his blue badge due to not subscribing to Twitter Blue.

The loss of verification has not spared even former US President Donald Trump, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, reality star Kim Kardashian, and numerous music stars.

In a curious twist, Pope Francis lost his blue check but was later re-verified with a gray checkmark, a new category Twitter introduced for government officials and organizations.

Meanwhile, basketball superstar LeBron James and acclaimed author Stephen King have retained their blue checks despite not paying for Twitter Blue.

King, who has been openly critical of Musk’s management of Twitter, recently tweeted about the strange status of his account, which claims he is subscribed to Blue and has provided a phone number—neither of which is true.

Musk responded humorously, “You’re welcome,” accompanied by a praying hands emoji.

The inconsistency in verification has fueled criticism of Musk’s approach, with many questioning the fairness and logic behind selectively paying for verification.

Musk admitted on Twitter that he is personally paying for a few individuals to maintain their blue badges, including William Shatner, LeBron James, and Stephen King.

This selective payment policy has raised eyebrows and accusations of favoritism.

William Shatner, the 92-year-old Canadian actor famed for Star Trek, had publicly complained about being forced to pay to keep his verification.

He tweeted, “Hey Elon Musk, what’s this about losing the blue check unless we pay Twitter? I’ve been here 15 years, sharing my witty thoughts for free.

Now you want me to pay for what you gave me for free?” Musk’s response emphasized equality: “The important thing is to treat everyone equally.

There shouldn’t be a different standard for famous people.”

Under Musk’s ownership, Twitter has fundamentally changed its verification process.

Previously, the blue check was reserved for verified individuals and organizations after identity confirmation, serving as a mark of authenticity.

In November 2022, Musk announced that Twitter would charge $8 per month for the blue check as part of efforts to diversify revenue streams beyond advertising.

In addition to the blue check, Twitter introduced other colored badges: yellow for businesses, and gray for government entities and officials.

The gray badge represents organizations or officials involved in global or regional cooperation, such as the United Nations, World Trade Organization, and ASEAN.

Twitter also launched a Verified Organizations program, offering a yellow badge and additional features for businesses at a premium price of up to $1,000 per month.

This initiative faced skepticism and criticism from companies.

According to The New York Times, 500 top advertisers and 10,000 largest-followed businesses would retain their yellow badges without paying the fee.

However, many media outlets have no plans to pay for the yellow badge, and some journalists who subscribed to Twitter Blue have expressed regret, as the blue check now only indicates a paid subscription rather than trustworthiness.

On April 21, 2025, Twitter removed the “government-funded” label from accounts of National Public Radio (NPR), British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

It also removed the “state media” label from Chinese news agency Xinhua and related journalists.

NPR ceased posting on its main Twitter account after being labeled “state-affiliated media” and “government-funded media,” with CEO John Lansing stating the platform was damaging their editorial independence.

CBC similarly paused Twitter activity amid disputes over these labels.

Data from Bloomberg reveals that only about 4% of visitors to the Twitter Blue sales page in March actually subscribed to the service.

Approximately 116,000 people signed up for Twitter Blue out of 2.

6 million visitors, a 40% increase from February’s figures.

Despite this growth, less than 1% of Twitter’s 500 million monthly users have subscribed to Blue.

Elon Musk has taken steps to enhance Twitter Blue’s appeal.

On March 23, Musk announced that previously verified celebrity accounts would lose their blue checks unless they subscribed to Blue.

On March 28, he stated that only Blue subscribers could participate in polls or appear in users’ “For You” feed, though backlash forced him to modify this policy to ensure followed accounts still appeared.

In a tweet on April 11, Musk hinted at ambitions to transform Twitter into an “everything app” under the brand X.

He referenced his earlier company X.

com (which became PayPal) and indicated plans to integrate payment services, noting Twitter had applied for regulatory licenses post-acquisition.

The letter X has been a recurring theme in Musk’s ventures, including SpaceX, Tesla Model X, and X Holdings companies.

Musk has expressed admiration for China’s WeChat, a super-app combining banking, ride-sharing, and video chat, calling it “a great app” and lamenting the lack of a similar app outside China.

Behind the scenes, Twitter has quietly merged into X Corp, as revealed in a court filing on April 4, 2025.

This corporate restructuring also plays into ongoing litigation, such as the lawsuit filed by conservative activist Laura Loomer, who alleges Twitter violated federal law by banning her account in 2019.

With Twitter now part of X Corp, the latter is the defendant in the case.

In a BBC interview on April 12, Musk revealed Twitter is “close to break-even” financially, with most advertisers returning and cost-cutting measures proving effective after significant staff reductions.

Twitter’s workforce has shrunk from nearly 8,000 employees before Musk’s takeover in October 2022 to approximately 1,500 today.

In summary, Elon Musk’s radical changes to Twitter’s verification system have stirred significant controversy, especially among Premier League stars and other influential users who feel alienated by the new paid model.

While Musk aims to make Twitter profitable and versatile, the transition has been tumultuous and continues to provoke debate about authenticity, fairness, and the future of social media platforms in an evolving digital landscape.