X, formerly Twitter, restores the blue badge of verified users for free. This is a new twist that Musk announced last week, with a publication in which he said that accounts with more than 2,500 "verified subscriber followers" would get free X paid services.
Musk bought the company (formerly called Twitter) in October 2022 and shortly after introduced one of his most controversial changes: Twitter Blue, or X Premium. That attempt to monetize the social network turned against Musk, since many users who had the badge, including media outlets and celebrities, said they were not willing to pay.