Twitter begins removing blue checks from users who don’t pay

Twitter had about 300,000 verified users under the original blue-check system — many of them journalists, athletes and public figures. After several false starts, Twitter began making good on its promise Thursday to remove the blue checks from accounts that don’t pay a monthly fee to keep them. Twitter had about 300,000 verified users under the original blue-check system — many of them journalists, athletes and public figures. AdvertisementHigh-profile users who lost their blue checks Thursday included Beyoncé, Pope Francis, Oprah Winfrey and former President Donald Trump. “My Twitter account says I’ve subscribed to Twitter Blue.