Elon Musk knows blue checks are embarrassing now

Per a new bullet point on X Blue’s (formerly known as Twitter Blue) about page, the company very quietly announced today that any user currently paying $8 per month for the service’s myriad benefits—which include a short window to edit posts, slightly fewer ads, and, well, mostly the opportunity to display the coveted blue checkmark—can now hide their checkmark if it’s too embarrassing for them (via Variety). Okay, that last part obviously isn’t official copy, but the subtext is quite loud.

The note explains that the checkmark will be hidden on users’ profile and posts, but it “may still appear in some places and some features could still reveal you have an active subscription.” Oh, the horror! Thanks Elon—that’s a knee slapper for sure.

In addition, the note reads, “some features may not be available while your checkmark is hidden. We will continue to evolve this feature to make it better for you.”

So, there you have it: (hopefully) the final chapter of Elon’s long, stupid checkmark journey. Even folks willing to give Twitter/X/whatever they decide to call it next their hard earned cash don’t actually want anyone to know they’re supporting the platform. It’s almost like the blue checks would have been better utilized identifying celebrities, politicians, and other important accounts, but that’s clearly way too radical to actually happen.