If you’re on Twitter then you must have noticed several accounts losing the legacy blue check symbol. The microblogging platform recently started replacing mark with new affiliate badges which has led many to wonder what’s happening with the social networking platform.

According to reports, the feature was first spotted on the former US President Barack Obama’s account. When clicked on the affiliate badge next to the verified blue check mark, the Twitter page takes you to a new account named The Office of Barack and Michelle Obama which has a yellow check mark.

The purpose of the affiliate badges, which appear next to a verified account’s check mark, is to highlight the parent account of the user.

When T(w)itter Daily News shared a screenshot of Obama’s Twitter account, pointing out the new feature, the microblogging platform’s CEO, billionaire Elon Musk replied saying that the new affiliate badge tool will help reduce impersonation risk.

“This will be great for reducing impersonation risk,” Musk said.

Musk had promised to take away all of Twitter’s blue check marks doled out to Hollywood stars, professional athletes, leaders of the business world, authors, journalists and politicians unless they start buying a monthly subscription.

What’s Happening With Twitter’s Blue Check Mark?

Since buying ownership of Twitter for $44 billion in October last year, the Tesla chief has been trying to boost the struggling social network’s revenue by implementing new rules which pushes people to pay for a premium subscription. However, his move also reflects his assertion that the blue verification marks have become an undeserved or “corrupt” status symbol for elite personalities, news reporters and others granted verification for free by Twitter’s previous leadership.

The Price & Perks
The relaunched Twitter blue verification service costs $8 a month for web users and $11 a month for users of its iPhone or Android apps.

Those who buy the monthly subscription will get to enjoy perks such as fewer ads on Twitter, be able to tweet longer videos and have their posts featured more prominently on the platform.