But to other users, the check mark has become a status symbol, unfairly reserved for a select group. It’s a sentiment Mr. Musk, with his feudalist metaphor, appears to share.

Online authenticity has become paramount in the social media age, and Twitter’s blue check mark was long the gold standard. From 2009, the blue check mark had been regarded as a symbol of ...

In recent days, Twitter has been met with widespread criticism over its plan to change the meaning of the blue check mark away from identifying confirmed individuals, particularly public figures.