Reasons for Loss of Verified Status on X/Twitter After Changing Display Picture

X, previously identified as Twitter, has been making headlines for negative reasons on a regular basis. Once again, it has attracted attention for eliminating the verified blue or golden tick mark due to modifications made by users. Prominent individuals affected by this action include BJP members such as national spokesperson Sambit Patra, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, and several others.

Users of the microblogging platform lose the blue tick of their verified status for a very simple reason – they changed their profile picture.

A case of missing confirmed blue ticks

Ahead of the upcoming 77th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi encouraged citizens to show their support to the nation by changing their social media handles’ screenshots to the tricolor flag (Tiranga). This move is a part of Prime Minister’s Har Ghar Tiranga campaign. In his latest X-message, the Prime Minister wrote, “In the spirit of the #HarGharTiranga movement, let’s change the DP on our social media accounts and extend support to this unique endeavor that deepens the bond between our beloved country and us.”

Although this move was meant to show the citizens’ appreciation for their country, it has led to one very unfortunate outcome. X users who subscribed to X Premium have lost their blue ticks. Currently X has 3 levels of ticks. The blue ticks are for X Premium subscribers, while the gold ticks represent the official organization. On the other hand, gray ticks represent government officials/agencies.

Even government-linked officials like BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami have lost their badges.

Interestingly, although the profile picture has recently been changed to Tiranga, the Prime Minister’s account did not lose its verified status.

Why did this happen?

The disappearance of the verification token is not part of a crackdown by the Musk-owned platform, but part of its X Premium authentication guidelines. According to X-blog, users must have their authentic names and profile pictures in order to be verified on the microblogging platform. If any of them change, the badge will be temporarily lost and the X team will perform a full profile check.

Users don’t need to worry as the verification badge will appear again if the account meets all the requirements.