Hours after launch, Twitter removes ‘official’ label for high-profile accounts

Twitter has removed a new grey “official” label for some verified high-profile accounts – just hours after it was launched.

The microblogging platform had, on Wednesday, started to add the grey label to government accounts, big companies, major media outlets, as well as public figures.

Checks by TheCable showed that the ‘official’ label was added to the Twitter handles of President Muhammadu Buhari, Don Jazzy, a Nigerian music producer and CEO of Mavin Records, among others.

But the label disappeared a few hours later.

Elon Musk, the new chief executive officer of Twitter, confirmed that he personally scrapped the new badge.

“I just killed it,” he tweeted.

“Blue check will be the great leveller.”

I just killed it

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 9, 2022

Musk added that “Twitter will do lots of dumb things in [the] coming months” but said it would “keep what works and change what doesn’t.”

Please note that Twitter will do lots of dumb things in coming months.

We will keep what works & change what doesn’t.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 9, 2022

Clarifying Musk’s comment on “killing” the new label, Esther Crawford, Twitter’s early-stage products executive, said the grey checkmark would still be used in the future, but the company would initially focus on adding them to government and commercial entities.

“The official label is still going out as part of the Twitter Blue launch — we are just focusing on government and commercial entities to begin with,” Crawford tweeted.

“What you saw him mention was the fact that we’re not focusing on giving individuals the “official” label right now.”

The official label is still going out as part of the @TwitterBlue launch — we are just focusing on government and commercial entities to begin with. What you saw him mention was the fact that we're not focusing on giving individuals the "Official" label right now.

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— Esther Crawford ✨ (@esthercrawford) November 9, 2022