Last updated: April 21, 2023, 5:16 AM IST
The Twitter splash page is seen on a digital device, on April 25, 2022 in San Diego. After several false starts, Twitter began fulfilling its promise to remove blue checks from accounts on Thursday, April 20. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, file)
It is important to note that the tool may return an incorrect result in case an account has been renamed after the data has been retrieved
Twitter on Thursday began revoking the blue ticks that identified verified users on the platform, including journalists and public figures.
The checks, which previously indicated that the account had been verified by Twitter, were removed from accounts that did not pay a monthly fee to keep them. About 300,000 users originally verified under the old system, which began to disappear from their profiles.
As Twitter continues to address problems with fake accounts and impersonations, it can be difficult for users to verify the authenticity of an account. However, a tool has been created to help users check whether a Twitter account is fake or impersonated.
The tool, available at checkblue.org, allows users to search for a Twitter username or add it to the URL.
How does this work?
The tool checks against a public repository compiled by a UW-Madison graduate student in November 2022, before verified checkmarks are removed or wording changes are made under the new administration.
“If you want to know if an account had legacy blue check verification (in other words, was verified as who they claimed to be), this website is very helpful: http://checkblue.org,” Ram Ramgopal, NewsMadura Executive tweeted. Editor.
If you want to know if an account had legacy blue check verification (in other words, was verified as who they claimed to be), this website is very helpful: https://t.co/Zex6pBH5gK— Ram Ramgopal (@RamNewsMadura) April 20, 2023
It is important to note that the tool may return an incorrect result in case an account has been renamed after the data has been retrieved. However, the old username still works to get the real result.
While the tool isn’t perfect, it serves as a tool to help fill a gap and address concerns that some Twitter users have raised during this period of transition and redefinition. The site is provided as is and is not intended to offend anyone.
Users can use this tool to check if an account is out of date, starting November 2022. While it is currently focused on Twitter, there is the possibility of expanding the tool to other social networks in the future.
By using this tool, users can take a step towards verifying the authenticity of Twitter accounts and protect themselves from fake or impersonated accounts.
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