Elon Musk's Twitter Purge: A Single Account Lost its Blue Check Mark, Leaving Many Confused
In a bizarre move, Elon Musk's Twitter has started purging "legacy" blue check marks on verified accounts, but instead of targeting high-profile users, the platform has singled out one account from a major publication that Musk dislikes. The New York Times' main account lost its coveted blue verification mark over the weekend, leaving many wondering why it was excluded from the purge.
Musk had previously announced that Twitter would "begin winding down" blue checks granted under its old verification system on April 1, which emphasized protecting high-profile users at risk of impersonation. To stay verified, Musk said users would have to pay $8 per month for Twitter Blue subscription service. However, instead of enforcing this policy, the platform has introduced a new label that reads: "This account is verified because it's subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account."
The change has created confusion among users, as it makes it unclear whether verified accounts are actually notable individuals or simply users who have paid for verification. The move also raises concerns about the potential for impersonation and scams on the platform.
It appears that Musk's decision was influenced by his personal animosity towards The New York Times, which had previously stated that it would not pay for verification. In response to a meme posted by an actor, William Shatner, who engages with Musk on Twitter, Musk tweeted: "Oh ok, we'll take it off then." This followed a series of tweets where Musk lashed out at The New York Times, claiming the outlet's coverage is boring and "propaganda."
The move highlights how Musk often guides decisions about the platform by whims rather than policy. It also raises questions about the effectiveness of Twitter's verification system in reducing impersonation and scams on the platform.
Musk has previously argued that changes to the verification system are a way of treating everyone equally, but experts have raised concerns that reserving verification for paid users may not reduce the number of bots on the site. The move also comes at a time when Musk is under pressure to drive revenue through Twitter Blue subscription service and other features.
In related news, Twitter's blue bird logo has been replaced with doge, the meme representing the cryptocurrency dogecoin, which Musk promotes. This move seems to be a publicity stunt, as the price of dogecoin shot up 20% on Monday.
The situation highlights the complexities and challenges of managing a social media platform like Twitter, where verification is a crucial aspect of trust and credibility. As Musk continues to make changes to the platform, it remains to be seen how these moves will impact user behavior and the overall health of the platform.
In a bizarre move, Elon Musk's Twitter has started purging "legacy" blue check marks on verified accounts, but instead of targeting high-profile users, the platform has singled out one account from a major publication that Musk dislikes. The New York Times' main account lost its coveted blue verification mark over the weekend, leaving many wondering why it was excluded from the purge.
Musk had previously announced that Twitter would "begin winding down" blue checks granted under its old verification system on April 1, which emphasized protecting high-profile users at risk of impersonation. To stay verified, Musk said users would have to pay $8 per month for Twitter Blue subscription service. However, instead of enforcing this policy, the platform has introduced a new label that reads: "This account is verified because it's subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account."
The change has created confusion among users, as it makes it unclear whether verified accounts are actually notable individuals or simply users who have paid for verification. The move also raises concerns about the potential for impersonation and scams on the platform.
It appears that Musk's decision was influenced by his personal animosity towards The New York Times, which had previously stated that it would not pay for verification. In response to a meme posted by an actor, William Shatner, who engages with Musk on Twitter, Musk tweeted: "Oh ok, we'll take it off then." This followed a series of tweets where Musk lashed out at The New York Times, claiming the outlet's coverage is boring and "propaganda."
The move highlights how Musk often guides decisions about the platform by whims rather than policy. It also raises questions about the effectiveness of Twitter's verification system in reducing impersonation and scams on the platform.
Musk has previously argued that changes to the verification system are a way of treating everyone equally, but experts have raised concerns that reserving verification for paid users may not reduce the number of bots on the site. The move also comes at a time when Musk is under pressure to drive revenue through Twitter Blue subscription service and other features.
In related news, Twitter's blue bird logo has been replaced with doge, the meme representing the cryptocurrency dogecoin, which Musk promotes. This move seems to be a publicity stunt, as the price of dogecoin shot up 20% on Monday.
The situation highlights the complexities and challenges of managing a social media platform like Twitter, where verification is a crucial aspect of trust and credibility. As Musk continues to make changes to the platform, it remains to be seen how these moves will impact user behavior and the overall health of the platform.
Elon's just messing with The New York Times' account for no reason 
like what even is the point? I've got a lot of respect for The NYT, they're one of the most reputable sources out there 
. And now Musk's basically saying that anyone can pay for a blue check mark if they want to 
it's all about the benjamins, right? 
. I guess it's all about making an example and showing how you can pay for blue checks now, but at the same time, I think it's a bit unfair to mess with people's trust on Twitter like this 
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and what even is the point of having a label that says "verified because u paid" 
. i mean, i'm all for transparency but this feels like a publicity stunt 
. and omg why did they take down The New York Times account? 
. elon musk needs to chill out and focus on making the platform safe and trustworthy instead of playing games with us 
I guess it's all about trying to make money through their new subscription service, but honestly, it feels like they're more interested in stirring up drama and getting attention 
. It's just weird that this move is causing so much confusion among users... like, what even is the criteria for being verified anymore? 
- first it was The New York Times, now who knows who's next? Musk is using Twitter to flex his muscles and show who's boss 
but honestly it just looks like a power play to me 
. the whole thing is super confusing for users too 
. It's like Elon is making these decisions based on his own whims rather than thinking about what's best for the platform or its users 
. And now that Twitter Blue subscription service is a thing, I'm not sure if it's worth paying $8 a month to have a blue check mark just to prove we're legitimate 
.
And honestly, I get why The New York Times was worried about getting their blue check taken away - it's pretty clear Musk wasn't exactly being objective when he decided to pull the plug on them... 
. I think it's crazy that Musk is using his personal feelings towards certain outlets as the reason for these changes. It's like, come on man! Use policy and not emotions to make decisions 
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. If verification is only for paid users, how are we supposed to know if someone is a real person or not? It's like Musk thinks he can just magic away all the fake accounts with his Twitter Blue subscription service 
. I don't think so, dude!
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