- The video-sharing app is accused of posing a national security risk through data gathered from millions of users.
- Going forward, Twitter users who want the verification mark will now have to reapply under Twitter Blue.
Image: Courtsey
Twitter CEO Elon Musk has said if TikTok was to be banned in the United States, it would be of great help to his company.
Speaking during an interview which was held in a Twitter space, Musk however added that he is against banning of any social media platform.
"I am generally against banning things, but it would help Twitter if TikTok was banned, as many people will come back to Twitter," he said.
The video-sharing app is accused of posing a national security risk through data gathered from millions of users.
For years American officials have raised concerns that data from the popular app could fall into the hands of the Chinese government.
According to the Wall Street Journal, US President Joe Biden's administration wants ByteDance to divest itself of TikTok to create a clear break from China.
The newspaper said the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States (CFIUS), which oversees national security risks, unanimously recommended ByteDance divest from TikTok.
A ban was first threatened under then-President Donald Trump in 2020.
However, Biden's administration has also taken a dim view of the social network.
TikTok hoovers up huge amounts of data on its users, similar to Instagram and Twitter.
It can take biometric data from users and has access to location data. The fear is the information could be passed to the Chinese government.
On matters of verification, Musk said that the amount one is required to pay is a small amount and does not understand why some organisations are yet to subscribe to Twitter Blue.
"Getting the verification budge costs a small amount of money, organisations should get it, I don’t know what’s wrong," he said during an interview with the BBC on a Twitter space.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is one of the notable people in the country who have since lost the blue check mark.
New York Times account's verification budge has also been removed, causing uproar online.
Twitter announced that it will start facing out its legacy blue badges on April 1, 2023, after insisting that users will now pay a monthly fee under Twitter Blue to have the badge (blue checkmark).
"On April 1st, we will begin winding down our legacy verified program and removing legacy verified checkmarks," Twitter said on Friday.
Going forward, Twitter users who want the verification mark will now have to reapply under Twitter Blue.
The changes came about after Elon Musk bought the company.
Under Twitter Blue, subscribers will enjoy priorities in replies, mentions and searches, which Musk said was essential to defeat spam/scams.
In six months since Musk acquired Twitter, several changes have been experienced at the leading Social Media brand, from top management to policies.