It’s important to note that the tool may return an incorrect result in the event that an account was renamed since the data was pulled
Twitter on Thursday began revoking the blue checkmarks that identified verified users on the platform, including journalists and public figures.
The checks, which previously signified that the account was authenticated by Twitter, were removed from accounts that did not pay a monthly fee to keep them. About 300,000 users were originally verified under the old system, which began disappearing from their profiles.
As Twitter continues to deal with issues of 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 if a Twitter account is fake or impersonated.
The tool, available at checkblue.org, allows users to search for a Twitter username or append it to the URL.
HOW DOES THIS WORK?
The tool checks against a public repository compiled by a graduate student from UW-Madison in November 2022, prior to any verified checkmark removals or wording changes done under the new administration.
“If you want to know whether 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,” tweeted Ram Ramgopal, CNN Executive Editor.
It’s important to note that the tool may return an incorrect result in the event that an account was renamed since the data was pulled. However, the old username will still work to get the true result.
While the tool is not perfect, it serves as a resource to fill a gap and assuage concerns some of the Twitter userbase have expressed during this period of transition and redefinition. The site is provided as-is and is not intended to cause offense to anyone.
Users can utilize this tool to check if an account is legacy verified, as of November 2022. While it’s currently Twitter-focused, there is potential to expand 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 protecting themselves from fake or impersonated accounts.