Elon Musks X begins rewarding influential users with blue checks, free subscriptions to platform
Summary
Elon Musks social media site X began rolling out free premium features, including verification badges known as "blue checks," to select users late Wednesday in an effort to reward what it calls "influential" people on the platform. X CEO Linda Yaccarino shared Musks post late Wednesday as the features began rolling out. Many users on Wednesday, including some CNBC reporters, were notified that they had been given complimentary subscriptions as "an influential member of the community on X." Many advertisers have taken a step back from the platform, or quit buying ads entirely, following Musks controversial Twitter takeover in late 2022. In Nov. 2023, for instance, companies like Disney and Apple paused online advertising campaigns on X after Musk endorsed a conspiracy theory.