Larry Madowo & CNN will not pay for their verification badges to avoid impersonation

Larry Madowo has decided to follow in the footsteps of other celebrities and decline to pay Twitter the fee of Sh1,060 for the verification badge.

This comes after Elon Musk's recent takeover of Twitter and the paid service Twitter Blue launch. Madowo expressed his reluctance to pay for the service and highlighted the risk of losing his verified status on the platform.

He also pointed out that anyone could create an account in his name and get it verified for a fee of $8 (Sh1,060), potentially leading to identity theft or other malicious activities.

Twitter notification Pulse Live Kenya

READ: Almost 140,000 people paid for a Twitter Blue subscription in just 5 days, including far-right influencers and adult performers, report says

"I have no plans to pay for Twitter Blue at this time and neither does CNN. Twitter says my blue checkmark will soon disappear - after 12 years of being verified. Anyone will be able to create an account in my name and get it verified for $8 (Sh1,060). What could possibly go wrong?" Madowo added.

Madowo expressed concern that Twitter's decision to charge users for the verification badge may lead to the impersonation of individuals by malicious actors for nefarious reasons.

"Even if I pay $8 to remain verified, anybody else can also add my name to their account and pay Twitter to verify it. So this doesn’t solve the problem of impersonation, it makes it worse. If this loophole is exploited by malicious people, it could have dangerous consequences," Madowo added.

LeBron James, an NBA superstar, also declared that he would not be paying for Twitter verification, stating that he would rather lose his blue checkmark than pay for it.

Larry Madowo Pulse Live Kenya

Many other Twitter users have expressed their displeasure with the new policy, with some even calling for a boycott of the platform.

"Well, guess my blue will be gone soon cause if you know me I ain’t paying the 5," tweeted LeBron.

Social media reaction

There have been varied reactions on Twitter among Kenyan users following Madowo's announcement that he will not be paying for his press badge. Some individuals have urged Madowo and CNN to follow suit, while others have commended him for his stance.

"Most of the people commenting don't actually get his point. A badge was earned it wasn't bought. At the moment it's bought, that's what he means," tweeted Andrew Kaggwa Mayiga.

Arap Rop tweeted asking Larry Madowo to pay the fees since he has money.