Elon Musk's Free Blue Check Mark Rollout Met With Mixed Reactions

Elon Musk restored blue check marks to some X accounts for free this week, but some users rejected them or were annoyed to receive them involuntarily

Actor Mark Hamill asked followers not to judge him for the unwanted blue check, while commentator Elie Mystal called it “the mark of the beast”

The blue check used to identify legitimate sources, government accounts, public figures, but Musk criticized the system

Musk replaced the old verification system with one where users pay $8 per month, which carries an implication that people are paying for online status

Musk has now stripped the blue check of much of its prior usefulness and value as a way to identify trusted accounts