Cameroonian celebrities stripped of blue checks as Twitter ends old verification system

By Pavel Joseph

The removal of blue checks on Twitter for accounts not yet signed up to the “Twitter Blue” verification service, began on Thursday, April 20. Cameroonian celebrities and public figures were not left out.

Samuel Eto’o, Francis Ngannou, Stanley Enow, and Jovi, are some of the personalities who have had their blue checks taken off.

Most of them have not yet reacted to the change, however, Stanley Enow tweeted in the early hours of Friday, reacting to the disappearance of his verification tick. “Chief Elon Musk why remove my blue tick? Thought we were cool” the rapper wrote.

Many have raised concerns over the risk of impersonation of high-profile users on the platform, adding that there will be increased confusion over the veracity of information.

Journalists and media organizations all saw their verification marks removed. This is the same case with widely followed personalities like Beyonce, Bill Gates, Pope Francis, and even Twitter founder Jack Dorsey.

While announcing the new measure last year, the platform’s current owner Elon Musk said it will help eradicate automated bot accounts and generate an alternative source of income to advertising, which accounts for most of Twitter’s income.

Elon’s verification fee stands at a minimum of $8 per month, approximately 4,000 FCFA in Cameroon.