Bethenny Frankel And Others Surprised TikTok Removed Verification Status

Where have all the blue checkmarks gone on TikTok?

Many celebrities and influencers are realizing that their blue verification checkmark has been removed from TikTok with no explanation or possible reason why.

'Real Housewives of New York' alum Bethenny Frankel is one of many who recently revealed she's been stripped of her verified status on the app.

The former reality star recently revealed that she suddenly "lost her checkmark" in a TikTok video.

"So I lost my checkmark and I'm thinking I don't deserve a checkmark. What have I done to deserve a checkmark? Honestly, what, I was on a train wreck television show," she said. "I was a Z-list celebrity. What does that even mean?"

She continued to talk about what a celebrity is these days and said that everyone should get "checks."

"The only checks I care about are the ones coming in the mail, and those, I'm not losing," she said. "So, I'm okay without the Tok check."

Frankel's video quickly received tons of attention with more than 648,000 views and thousands of comments. Many viewers blamed her recent issue with Chanel as the reason she's now not verified.

"I think it’s super unusual! I think Chanel is behind it for sure," one person wrote. Another added, "Does Chanel own stock in TikTok?"

And others just shared jokes.

"It's not so bad on this side," one person joked. Another person asked, "How can we be sure this is actually you???"

Frankel shared a follow-up video to talk more about the mysterious checkmark disappearance.

"Maybe they took my check because they think someone took over my account because I posted 672 Chanel videos. I mean, it's not that outlandish," she said. "Like, someone CHECK on Bethenny."

Many of her viewers pointed out that she's not alone in this. Many other celebrities and influencers have recently reported that they also lost their verified status checkmark.

"Lance Bass lost his too!!" one person wrote. Another said, "You are not the only one, I noticed some of the people I follow who have a million plus lost their blue checkmark." One other pointed out, "Meanwhile Chanel has a check lol."

YouTube sensation FaZe Rug shared that he lost his check on TikTok, and he's embracing the change by captioning his viral video, "Honestly no verification is the wave." His video quickly received more than 2 million views and nearly 8,000 comments.

In the comment section, he added, "Where’s my non-verified gang at?!" Many people commented that their blue check was taken away too. And others were just shocked.

"Bro Faze Rug TikTok needs to give you your verification back you didn’t do nothing. You’re always positive and didn’t do anything to get it taken," one viewer wrote in the comments.

Another added, "Why is TikTok taking everyone's verification away?" 

You can tell an account was verified on TikTok by the blue checkmark next to the user's name. This system is in place "to help you make informed choices about the content you watch or accounts you follow," according to TikTok's guidelines.

"A verified badge means that we've confirmed the account belongs to the person or brand it represents. This means you can be sure to know that the verified accounts you're following are exactly who they say they are, rather than a parody or fan account," the website explained.

"Whether you're an individual, nonprofit, institution, business, or official brand page, the verified badge adds an important layer of clarity within the TikTok community."

So why would someone's verified badge be removed with no notice or explanation? According to the website, there are a few reasons the blue check can be removed: transferring the account to another owner, changing your username, the account type changed between personal, business, or institution, and if the account violated TikTok's Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.

It seems suspect that so many big names and influencers had their verification badge removed without warning, so a glitch in the system could be a possibility, and many viewers pointed that out. In addition to Frankel, it appears that Joe Jonas, Lance Bass, Duolingo, and many other accounts with millions of followers are affected.