Diamond Platnumz among celebrities who have lost twitter blue tick

Tanzania’s Diamond Platnumz has become one of the first celebrities who have lost the blue tick after Twitter begun removing its signature blue checkmark from verified users who have not signed up for its paid subscription service.

He is joined on the list by local celebrities such as Harmonize, Zuchu, and prominent organisations such as Bank of Tanzania in the long list of affected entities and individuals.

After pushing back the April 1 deadline to sign up several times, Twitter on Thursday began removing checkmarks from thousands of legacy accounts, including prominent figures such as Pope Francis, Bill Gates and Kim Kardashian.

Others include Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian and K-pop supergroup BLACKPINK who all had their blue checks stripped Thursday from their official Twitter accounts.

Prominent organisations including Human Rights Watch and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People also lost their checkmarks, with many tweeting about their decision to not subscribe to Twitter Blue.

Elon Musk launched Twitter Blue last year after buying the social media platform for $44bn, introducing an $8 monthly charge for the blue tick as well as a number of other features.

For years, Twitter's blue checks were coveted ... they used to serve as the social media platform's official verification system, distinguishing prominent public figures from all the rest of the crowd.

Hundreds of celebritiess have railed against Elon's policy including LeBron James, who initially said he wouldn't pay for a blue check, only for him to switch course.