Overview

• Elon Musk reverses course on paid blue checkmarks on X, offering them for free to high-profile users in a bid to increase platform engagement.
• The move is seen as an attempt to recover from the platform's declining user base and attract back influential figures who had left.
• Musk's original plan required users to pay for blue checkmarks, aiming to build a subscription business and reduce reliance on advertising.
• The paid checkmark system faced criticism for undermining identity verification and becoming a symbol of fealty to Musk.
• X's daily usage has plummeted over the last year, with significant drops in both daily and active users.