X is now granting complimentary blue checks to users with over 2,500 “verified” followers, individuals subscribed to X Premium.

While this move delights some popular posters, not everyone welcomes the blue check status. Many users are hastily posting to clarify that they did not purchase the blue check; rather, it was bestowed upon them.

Tom Gara, a former BuzzFeed editor who recently acquired the blue check, humorously shared, “Some personal news: I’m now a serial small business founder in Arizona who posts about fatherhood, faith and what it takes to get a roofing company to $100 million ARR.” Similarly, Business Insider senior correspondent Katie Notopoulos quipped, “This is punishment for posting too much.”

In the past, Twitter’s blue check symbolized influence. It aided in verifying the authenticity of public figures. However, the significance has evolved.

Previously, having a blue check indicated either a desire for importance, a preference for X’s premium features, protection against impersonation (even if it meant paying Elon Musk $8 monthly), or identification as a crypto spam bot.