Elon Musk's plan for Twitter's blue check marks seems to have backfired, as the platform has started verifying only accounts that pay $8 per month for its Twitter Blue subscription service. The billionaire had announced in April that he would "begin winding down" blue checks granted under the old verification system, which was intended to protect high-profile users from impersonation.
However, instead of removing legacy blue check marks, Twitter has appended a new label reading: “This account is verified because it’s subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account.” This move has left many users wondering whether verified accounts are notable individuals or simply users who have paid for verification.
One high-profile account that lost its blue check mark over the weekend was the New York Times, which had previously stated it would not pay for verification. The decision came after an actor and anti-bullying activist posted a meme about the Times declining to pay for verification, prompting Musk to respond with a tweet saying "Oh ok, we’ll take it off then."
Musk's latest move has sparked criticism from experts in inauthentic behavior, who argue that reserving verification for paid users could make it easier for scammers to impersonate high-profile users. They also question whether the new system will actually reduce the number of bots on the site.
The confusion surrounding Twitter's verification system is not new and has been ongoing since Musk took over as CEO. The billionaire had previously said that individual users would eventually have to pay for blue checks, which could drive revenue and help him pay off significant debt after buying Twitter for $44 billion.
In another puzzling move, Twitter replaced its blue bird logo with doge, a meme representing the cryptocurrency dogecoin, which Musk has promoted. The price of dogecoin shot up 20% on Monday, sparking further speculation about what's driving these changes on the platform.
However, instead of removing legacy blue check marks, Twitter has appended a new label reading: “This account is verified because it’s subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account.” This move has left many users wondering whether verified accounts are notable individuals or simply users who have paid for verification.
One high-profile account that lost its blue check mark over the weekend was the New York Times, which had previously stated it would not pay for verification. The decision came after an actor and anti-bullying activist posted a meme about the Times declining to pay for verification, prompting Musk to respond with a tweet saying "Oh ok, we’ll take it off then."
Musk's latest move has sparked criticism from experts in inauthentic behavior, who argue that reserving verification for paid users could make it easier for scammers to impersonate high-profile users. They also question whether the new system will actually reduce the number of bots on the site.
The confusion surrounding Twitter's verification system is not new and has been ongoing since Musk took over as CEO. The billionaire had previously said that individual users would eventually have to pay for blue checks, which could drive revenue and help him pay off significant debt after buying Twitter for $44 billion.
In another puzzling move, Twitter replaced its blue bird logo with doge, a meme representing the cryptocurrency dogecoin, which Musk has promoted. The price of dogecoin shot up 20% on Monday, sparking further speculation about what's driving these changes on the platform.
this is just gonna make scams worse and drive away real users they should just go back to the old system or not verify at all tbh. and what's with the doge logo change anyway? Musk thinks he's some kinda crypto guru or somethin' 
. I mean, I thought the whole point was to make verification more secure and trustworthy? Now it just feels like another way for Musk to make money off us 
. And what's with the doge logo change? Is he trying to distract us from the fact that Twitter's new system is basically just a scam? 
I'm still confused about how this will impact legitimate users and the spread of misinformation on the platform. Only time (and a lot more scrutiny) will tell if this was all just a wild goose chase 
... it just feels like they're selling likes and validation to users instead of keeping those blue checks reserved for actual notable individuals 
. Like, I get it, Elon wants to make some cash, but this move is just gonna open up more doors for scammers to impersonate legit accounts 
. And what's with the doge logo? 
... can't help but feel like they're losing control of their platform 
. It just seems like more chaos, ya know? 
what's going on with these guys? Can someone just clarify how this works now? 
And this new label they put on the blue check marks is just super confusing... I don't think it's gonna stop bots from flooding the site or anything. Like, I'm all for making money and all but come on Elon, you gotta think this one through. 
like whats up w/ payin 8 a month 2 get verified?? 
& now the nytimes doesnt even have blue checks? 