Alyssa Milano leads Hollywood whining over removal of Twitter blue check mark
![Alyssa Milano leads Hollywood whining over removal of Twitter blue check mark](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/04/21/17/70095451-11999675-Alyssa_Milano_pictured_complained_she_could_be_imitated_and_ques-a-1_1682094426610.jpg)
Alyssa Milano leads Hollywood whining over removal of Twitter blue check marks over fears she’ll be impersonated, as Bette Middler brands Elon Musk a WORM
- Alyssa Milano complained on Twitter she could be imitated without a blue badge
- Actress Bette Midler called Musk a ‘worm’ for taking away her Twitter verification
- Blue ticks were removed Thursday for anyone refusing to pay $8-a-month
Leftist actress Alyssa Milano became one of the first celebrities to whine about losing her coveted blue Twitter check mark and threatened lawsuits.
In a tweet on Thursday, Milano complained she could be imitated and questioned whether without her badge she would have grounds to sue Twitter owner Elon Musk and Twitter for ‘defamation or identity theft or fraud.’
It came as fellow liberal actress Bette Midler used Twitter to call Musk a ‘worm’ over his decision to remove her badge. ‘After all these years and thousands of tweets and free content, this worm has the nerve to de-certify me!’ she wrote.
Blue check marks were once given to users whose identity had been verified by Twitter and were widely considered a symbol of importance and high status.
After Musk’s acquisition of the platform he committed to revising that system, which he suggested was unfair, by offering the blue check to any user willing to pay $8-a-month for ‘Twitter Blue’.
Alyssa Milano (pictured) complained she could be imitated and questioned whether without her verification badge she would have grounds to sue Musk and Twitter
![Milano used Twitter to ask if she could sue Musk and Twitter for 'defamation or identity theft or fraud'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/04/21/17/70095551-11999675-image-a-13_1682093037095.jpg)
Milano used Twitter to ask if she could sue Musk and Twitter for ‘defamation or identity theft or fraud’
![Bette Midler (pictured) called Musk a worm on Twitter and said she had been offering free content to the platform for years](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/04/21/17/70098681-11999675-Bette_Midler_pictured_called_Musk_a_worm_on_Twitter_and_said_she-a-2_1682094426614.jpg)
Bette Midler (pictured) called Musk a worm on Twitter and said she had been offering free content to the platform for years
!['After all these years and thousands of tweets and free content, this worm has the nerve to de-certify me!' wrote Midler on Thursday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/04/21/17/70095553-11999675-image-a-12_1682092998066.jpg)
‘After all these years and thousands of tweets and free content, this worm has the nerve to de-certify me!’ wrote Midler on Thursday
Musk claimed that the old blue check mark system was undemocratic – with some members of the great and the good clearly angered at having the status symbol removed.
They’ll also be less visible in certain timelines without the blue tick, particularly the new ‘for you’ feed that offers suggested accounts for people to follow.
Musk’s fans celebrated the move as a positive step towards democratizing the platform, but many have complained that without verification imitation could become commonplace.
In fact, the checks were introduced more than a decade ago after the platform was sued by the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, who claimed an unauthorized page used his name to make light of drunk driving.
Milano has been adamant that she will not pay for Twitter premium feature, and currently has no check mark on her profile verifying her identity.
‘So by revoking my blue check mark because I wouldn’t pay some arbitrary fee, someone can just be me and say a bunch of bullshit. Does that mean Twitter and are liable for defamation or identity theft or fraud?’ she wrote.
In the biography of her profile, she has written in capital letters: ‘NOT PAYING FOR A BLUE CHECK MARK!’
A number of others with big followings have said they would not subscribe to Musk’s Twitter Blue. Most notably, that includes NBA star LeBron James and the author Steven King.
Musk responded by upgrading their profiles to Twitter Blue regardless.
On Thursday, The Verge reported that a Twitter employee wrote to James offering a ‘complimentary subscription to Twitter Blue for your account, @kingjames, on behalf of Elon Musk.’
Similarly, King posted on Twitter: ‘My Twitter account says I’ve subscribed to Twitter Blue. I haven’t.’
Musk responded, ‘You’re welcome namaste’, and posted a tweet of his own saying, ‘I’m paying for a few personally.’
However, not all celebrities lamented Musk’s move.
Superman actor Dean Cain took exception to a tweet from ultra-left U.S. House Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that said losing check marks could lead to ‘major potential harm’.
The lawmaker, one of the most popular politicians on Twitter, with 13.4 million followers, claimed it could sow distrust about which government agencies are real – and lead to people ignoring urgent advice in the event of a natural disaster.
Cain simply responded ‘$8.00,’ referencing the relatively low cost of a check mark.
Rabble-rousing comedian Ricky Gervais also appeared to take aim at the anger, tweeting: ‘My blue tick has gone. I’m not sure if I’m ready or not.’