Pope loses verified status on Twitter, US basketball star LeBron James remains

Among those losing their badges were former US President Donald Trump, Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates and reality TV star Kim Kardashian

Some personalities such as basketball star LeBron James and author Stephen King still had their checkmarks.

Twitter on Thursday began removing legacy blue checkmarks from user profiles, with famous people including pop icon Beyonce and Pope Francis losing their verified statuses.

Some personalities such as basketball star LeBron James and author Stephen King still had their checkmarks.