Twitter Purge a Mixed Bag for Users, With One High-Profile Account Losing Blue Check Mark
Elon Musk's plan to "winding down" blue check marks on Twitter has sparked confusion and mixed reactions among users. Initially, many high-profile accounts, including those of legacy verified users, woke up expecting their coveted blue verification check marks to be gone. However, instead, the social media platform targeted a single account from The New York Times, which had previously announced it would not pay for verification.
The main account for The New York Times lost its blue check mark over the weekend after Musk tweeted, "Oh ok, we'll take it off then." Musk's subsequent series of tweets slammed journalists and media outlets, claiming their coverage is boring and "propaganda." This move has been criticized as an example of Twitter's tendency to create confusion and whiplash for users, particularly among its most high-profile accounts.
The decision also highlights how Musk often guides decisions on the platform through whims rather than policy. While Musk claims the new label will treat everyone equally, experts warn that it could risk making it easier for people to scam or impersonate high-profile users.
The New York Times' other accounts, such as its arts, travel, and books content, remained verified after their main account lost its blue check mark. However, it's unclear why the New York Times doesn't have a gold "organizations" check mark like other news outlets.
Twitter has been plagued by issues with impersonation and bots on its platform, which Musk has raised as a concern. The new verification system, which requires users to pay $8 per month for Twitter Blue subscription service, aims to address these concerns. However, the effectiveness of this approach is still uncertain.
Musk's long campaign against "legacy" blue checks was put in motion shortly after he bought Twitter last fall. In early November, Twitter launched the option for people paying for its Twitter Blue subscription service to receive blue checks, but it was quickly put on pause due to a wave of celebrity and corporate impersonators. The program was relaunched in December.
The move has sparked debate about the role of verification in maintaining trust on social media platforms. Musk's emphasis on equal treatment for all users has been met with skepticism from some experts, who argue that verification should be reserved for notable individuals rather than paying customers.
In a separate and puzzling move, Twitter replaced its blue bird logo at the top of the site with doge, a meme representing the cryptocurrency dogecoin, which Musk has promoted. The price of dogecoin shot up 20% on Monday, further fueling speculation about Musk's intentions behind these moves.
Overall, Twitter's latest move highlights the challenges of maintaining trust and security on social media platforms while also generating revenue through paid features.
Elon Musk's plan to "winding down" blue check marks on Twitter has sparked confusion and mixed reactions among users. Initially, many high-profile accounts, including those of legacy verified users, woke up expecting their coveted blue verification check marks to be gone. However, instead, the social media platform targeted a single account from The New York Times, which had previously announced it would not pay for verification.
The main account for The New York Times lost its blue check mark over the weekend after Musk tweeted, "Oh ok, we'll take it off then." Musk's subsequent series of tweets slammed journalists and media outlets, claiming their coverage is boring and "propaganda." This move has been criticized as an example of Twitter's tendency to create confusion and whiplash for users, particularly among its most high-profile accounts.
The decision also highlights how Musk often guides decisions on the platform through whims rather than policy. While Musk claims the new label will treat everyone equally, experts warn that it could risk making it easier for people to scam or impersonate high-profile users.
The New York Times' other accounts, such as its arts, travel, and books content, remained verified after their main account lost its blue check mark. However, it's unclear why the New York Times doesn't have a gold "organizations" check mark like other news outlets.
Twitter has been plagued by issues with impersonation and bots on its platform, which Musk has raised as a concern. The new verification system, which requires users to pay $8 per month for Twitter Blue subscription service, aims to address these concerns. However, the effectiveness of this approach is still uncertain.
Musk's long campaign against "legacy" blue checks was put in motion shortly after he bought Twitter last fall. In early November, Twitter launched the option for people paying for its Twitter Blue subscription service to receive blue checks, but it was quickly put on pause due to a wave of celebrity and corporate impersonators. The program was relaunched in December.
The move has sparked debate about the role of verification in maintaining trust on social media platforms. Musk's emphasis on equal treatment for all users has been met with skepticism from some experts, who argue that verification should be reserved for notable individuals rather than paying customers.
In a separate and puzzling move, Twitter replaced its blue bird logo at the top of the site with doge, a meme representing the cryptocurrency dogecoin, which Musk has promoted. The price of dogecoin shot up 20% on Monday, further fueling speculation about Musk's intentions behind these moves.
Overall, Twitter's latest move highlights the challenges of maintaining trust and security on social media platforms while also generating revenue through paid features.
, i'm still trying to wrap my head around why they went after the NYT like that...i mean, i get it, they didn't pay for verification, but come on 
it's not like they're scamming anyone or something. and now they've lost their blue check mark? what's the point of even having one if it's just gonna be taken away like this? 
. Like, one minute they're all about verifying who's legit and trustworthy, and the next, it's just a bunch of people paying for it? It feels like Twitter's trying to make everyone equal, but in reality, it's just making it easier for scammers to come out of the woodwork 
. And what's up with Musk's tweets, dude? He's always going on about how journalists are boring and propaganda... like, can't he just stick to one narrative for once? 
. I've been on Twitter for years and never thought I'd see the day where a meme would become the new logo 
. On a completely unrelated note, have you guys ever tried making homemade pizza from scratch? It's so much fun and super easy to make, just a few ingredients and some basic cooking skills 
And the whole thing with Musk tweeting about journalists and media outlets being boring... that just seems like more drama 
. I hope they can find a way to make this system work without creating too much chaos for users 
is just plain weird 
. I mean, what's next? Removing gold stars for good grades or something 
?! 
. I'm still waiting to see how this affects users who are trying to verify their accounts without paying $8 a month 
... it just doesn't seem fair 
.
... like, if The New York Times has multiple accounts, they should all get a gold star 
! It's just so much easier to understand 
.
... I mean, seriously? Who thought it was a good idea to put a dog on Twitter's logo 
?!
. Like, what's the real motive behind this? Is it to create chaos or actually solve the impersonation issue on the platform?
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. Like, come on man! We need trust in journalism more than ever. Can't we just focus on solving the impersonation problem instead of making it personal? 
. First off, I think it's ridiculous that The New York Times had their main account lose its blue check mark just because they don't pay for it 
? Is Musk trying to distract us from all this chaos? It feels like he's using these moves to stir up controversy and get attention, rather than actually solving problems on the platform.
. Paying $8 a month for verification just doesn't seem fair 
. And what about all the legitimate users who can't afford that kind of price tag? Twitter needs to find a better way to balance security with accessibility 
.
I dunno, maybe it'll all work out in the end, but for now, it's just a bunch of confusing tweets and whiplash 
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It just doesn't add up. I'm also a bit confused about the whole dogecoin thing - what's going on with that