Twitter's Purge of Blue Checks a Misfire, as Only One Account Loses Verification Status
In a bizarre twist, Twitter's long-anticipated purge of blue check marks has resulted in the removal of only one account from its VIP list. Instead of targeting high-profile users who had been using the coveted verification status for years, Elon Musk's team seems to have singled out a single account from The New York Times.
The decision was met with widespread confusion and outrage among Twitter users, many of whom had grown accustomed to their blue check marks over the years. The move has also highlighted the inconsistencies in Twitter's verification system, which now uses a new label that blurs the line between verified accounts and those who have paid for Twitter Blue.
According to reports, most legacy blue check holders found their verification status intact over the weekend, but with a new label that reads: "This account is verified because it's subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account." This change has raised concerns among experts, who fear that it could make it easier for scammers and impersonators to target high-profile users.
The New York Times' main account was one of the few to lose its blue check status, after Elon Musk took to Twitter to lash out at the outlet over its coverage. The billionaire has been a vocal critic of traditional journalism and media outlets, often labeling them as "propaganda" in his tweets.
Musk's decision to target only one account for removal from the VIP list has sparked debate about his leadership style on Twitter. While he claims that his changes are meant to "treat everyone equally," many have accused him of favoring users who pay for Twitter Blue over those who have earned their verification status through years of service.
The move has also raised concerns about the impact of paid verification on the site's user experience and its ability to prevent impersonation. Experts argue that reserving verification for paid users may not be an effective solution, as it could drive up revenue for Musk while potentially increasing the number of bots on the platform.
As Twitter continues to navigate this new landscape, one thing is clear: Musk's decisions are shaping the future of the platform in ways that are both confusing and concerning.
In a bizarre twist, Twitter's long-anticipated purge of blue check marks has resulted in the removal of only one account from its VIP list. Instead of targeting high-profile users who had been using the coveted verification status for years, Elon Musk's team seems to have singled out a single account from The New York Times.
The decision was met with widespread confusion and outrage among Twitter users, many of whom had grown accustomed to their blue check marks over the years. The move has also highlighted the inconsistencies in Twitter's verification system, which now uses a new label that blurs the line between verified accounts and those who have paid for Twitter Blue.
According to reports, most legacy blue check holders found their verification status intact over the weekend, but with a new label that reads: "This account is verified because it's subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account." This change has raised concerns among experts, who fear that it could make it easier for scammers and impersonators to target high-profile users.
The New York Times' main account was one of the few to lose its blue check status, after Elon Musk took to Twitter to lash out at the outlet over its coverage. The billionaire has been a vocal critic of traditional journalism and media outlets, often labeling them as "propaganda" in his tweets.
Musk's decision to target only one account for removal from the VIP list has sparked debate about his leadership style on Twitter. While he claims that his changes are meant to "treat everyone equally," many have accused him of favoring users who pay for Twitter Blue over those who have earned their verification status through years of service.
The move has also raised concerns about the impact of paid verification on the site's user experience and its ability to prevent impersonation. Experts argue that reserving verification for paid users may not be an effective solution, as it could drive up revenue for Musk while potentially increasing the number of bots on the platform.
As Twitter continues to navigate this new landscape, one thing is clear: Musk's decisions are shaping the future of the platform in ways that are both confusing and concerning.
I don't get why they're still using verification as a way to decide who's legit. It feels like more of a cash grab than a way to keep users safe. And what's up with Elon Musk making decisions based on his own Twitter rants? 
Does he have some kind of algorithm that says "if you're paying for Twitter Blue, you get the VIP treatment"? That doesn't make sense to me. I need some concrete info from someone at Twitter or a credible source explaining this whole thing... 
. Removing just 1 account from the blue check list doesn't exactly scream "treating everyone equally" 
. I mean, I get why he wanted to shake things up, but maybe he should've tested it out a bit more before hitting that big red button 
. The whole thing seems kinda arbitrary now 
. On the bright side, though? It's actually giving us a chance to think about how verification works and whether or not paid users really deserve a special badge 
.
. One account gets taken away from verified status and it's like... what even happened? 
I mean, who needs verification if they can just pay for it anyway 
. It's all about the benjamins for Elon, I'm telling you 
. And now people are worried that scammers will target legit users because of this new label 
. I'm still on Team Verified, btw 
It just feels like he's trying to send a message or something. And what's going on with the new label for verified accounts? It's kinda cool that you get a fancy label now, but at the same time, it makes me worry about scammers trying to impersonate legit users 
... no wait, maybe it's actually a genius move 
... I mean, who needs legacy verification anyway? 
... either way, this whole thing is giving me major anxiety 
and it's a paper company?? 
so confused about all this paid for verification stuff 
i feel so bad 4 u lol twitter's purge was literally super confusing 4 everyone & it's just not right dat The New York Times got targeted 
especially w/ the new label thingy it's just making things more confusing & vulnerable 2 impersonation 
what do u think will happen next? 
. And can we talk about how weird it is that only one account got targeted for removal? It feels like Elon Musk just wanted to make a point about his Twitter Blue thingy 
. Can't we just stick with the old way of doing things? 
. And now the rest of us are left wondering what the point of all this is 
. Anyway, I'm watching this unfold with a pretty big popcorn-filled eye 
and now we're stuck with this weird label that's supposed to tell us who's legit but honestly has no bearing on anything...anyway, hope people keep speaking out about these issues so maybe something changes soon 
. I mean, who needs "verified" when you can just pay for it like a premium subscription? 
Only in Twitter, folks... only in Twitter 
.
. And what's the deal with all these people who have paid for Twitter Blue getting this new label that basically says "we're legit because we paid for it"? 
. it's not about treating everyone equally, it's about making money off ppl who already got the verification status 
. and now scammers can just pose as verified users? that's a recipe for disaster