Checkmarks and labels: How to navigate Twitter’s latest tools

Since Elon Musk took the helm of Twitter, the social media platform is going through a bit of a renaissance.

Musk recently re-launched Twitter Blue, a premium service costing $8 a month for web users and $11 a month for iPhone and iPad users.

It’s the latest tool offered to customers to have their accounts verified, an added protection against fraudulent accounts. 

What is the blue checkmark?

Twitter’s coveted blue checkmark was originally given to companies, celebrities, government entities and journalists verified by the platform. After Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion in October, he launched a service granting blue checks to anyone willing to pay $8 a month. 

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But it was inundated by imposter accounts, including those impersonating Nintendo, pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Musk’s businesses Tesla and SpaceX, so Twitter suspended the service days after its launch.

A familiar blue check can now mean two things: either that an account was verified under the previous verification criteria (active and authentic), or that the account has an active subscription to Twitter Blue.

On some accounts with a blue checkmark, the message may read "This is a legacy verified account. It may or may not be notable."

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Musk tweeted that legacy checkmarks will disappear in a few months. 

According to the company, Twitter Blue also allows users to select features such as an edit button and different layouts.

What is the gold checkmark?

The gold checkmark is more of an "official" stamp on an account. It can be used for businesses with a social media presence. 

What is the gray (official) label?

Another official label, displayed in gray, will verify governmental accounts (such as institutional accounts, elected or appointed officials, and multilateral organizations), certain political organizations such as political parties, commercial companies including business partners, major brands, media outlets and publishers, and some other public figures.

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What are the candidate labels?

Candidate labels, similar to the government ones, will verify accounts belonging for official national-level political candidates for some elections. 

The label will contain information about the office the candidate is running for, the state the office is located in, and (when applicable) the district number.

What are the automated account labels?

Automated account labels, which are currently being tested, will help customers identify if the account is a bot or not. Accounts with such labels will let readers know that content is automatically generated from this account and not a human.

What are professional category labels?

Professional category labels are for Twitter users who want to convert their accounts into professional accounts. Twitter does not control the distribution of labels. Users can also change their professional category at any time. 

This story was reported from Los Angeles. The Associated Press contributed.