Elon Musk's Twitter Purge Fiasco: A Single Target in Sight
Twitter users woke up on Saturday expecting a blue check mark purge, but instead found themselves bewildered by a peculiar decision. As part of the previously announced plan to phase out blue checks for free verification, Musk had declared that those who wanted to stay verified would have to pay $8 per month to join Twitter Blue. However, it appears that only one high-profile account fell victim to this new policy - The New York Times.
The main account for The New York Times lost its coveted blue check mark after posting a meme about the publication's decision not to pay for verification. Musk responded with a tweet saying "Oh ok, we'll take it off then," and followed up with a series of tweets criticizing the outlet's coverage as boring and propaganda. This move highlights how Musk often seems to guide decisions by whim rather than policy.
For legacy blue check holders, their verification marks were replaced with a new label that reads: “This account is verified because it’s subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account.” The language obscures whether verified accounts are notable individuals or simply users who have paid for the privilege. This change raises questions about the clarity and fairness of the new system.
Twitter's decision has sparked concerns among experts, who warn that reserving verification for paid users could make it easier for scammers to impersonate high-profile users. The move also undermines the notion that verified accounts are notable individuals, potentially blurring the lines between genuine users and bots.
While Musk claims that the changes aim to "treat everyone equally," critics argue that this new system creates a two-tiered verification system. For those willing to pay for Twitter Blue, the blue check mark becomes a coveted status symbol; for others, it's no longer relevant. This dichotomy may drive revenue but raises questions about fairness and equality.
In a separate move, Twitter replaced its logo with doge, the meme representing dogecoin, which Musk has promoted. The price of dogecoin shot up 20% on Monday, sparking speculation about potential financial motives behind these changes.
As Twitter continues to navigate its uncertain future under Musk's leadership, one thing is clear: the platform remains a breeding ground for confusion and controversy.
Twitter users woke up on Saturday expecting a blue check mark purge, but instead found themselves bewildered by a peculiar decision. As part of the previously announced plan to phase out blue checks for free verification, Musk had declared that those who wanted to stay verified would have to pay $8 per month to join Twitter Blue. However, it appears that only one high-profile account fell victim to this new policy - The New York Times.
The main account for The New York Times lost its coveted blue check mark after posting a meme about the publication's decision not to pay for verification. Musk responded with a tweet saying "Oh ok, we'll take it off then," and followed up with a series of tweets criticizing the outlet's coverage as boring and propaganda. This move highlights how Musk often seems to guide decisions by whim rather than policy.
For legacy blue check holders, their verification marks were replaced with a new label that reads: “This account is verified because it’s subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account.” The language obscures whether verified accounts are notable individuals or simply users who have paid for the privilege. This change raises questions about the clarity and fairness of the new system.
Twitter's decision has sparked concerns among experts, who warn that reserving verification for paid users could make it easier for scammers to impersonate high-profile users. The move also undermines the notion that verified accounts are notable individuals, potentially blurring the lines between genuine users and bots.
While Musk claims that the changes aim to "treat everyone equally," critics argue that this new system creates a two-tiered verification system. For those willing to pay for Twitter Blue, the blue check mark becomes a coveted status symbol; for others, it's no longer relevant. This dichotomy may drive revenue but raises questions about fairness and equality.
In a separate move, Twitter replaced its logo with doge, the meme representing dogecoin, which Musk has promoted. The price of dogecoin shot up 20% on Monday, sparking speculation about potential financial motives behind these changes.
As Twitter continues to navigate its uncertain future under Musk's leadership, one thing is clear: the platform remains a breeding ground for confusion and controversy.
. I mean, it's not like anyone else was getting any special treatment just because they're high-profile or whatever. But hey, if paying $8 a month for a blue check mark makes you feel like a big shot, be my guest 
. Meanwhile, The New York Times gets to keep their reputation intact after being called out on some pretty low-key memes 
. And good luck trying to distinguish between real people and bots, @elonmusk 
... I'm sure that won't end in a mess at all 
. Can't wait to see what other "innovative" changes you have up your sleeve 
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! I'm not surprised it went down like this tho - musk's always been all over the place with his plans 
they're basically doing their job here and not trying to scam anyone 
. what's up with all these weird label changes too? 
"subscribed to twitter blue" sounds like a total cop-out 
like one day he says somethin and the next hes changin his mind 4 real though, this new system is sus... if u wanna be verified u gotta pay 8 bucks a month? that's not fair to all the legit users who dont wanna shell out that cash 
is there something more to it than just a meme? 
. Can't he just stick to one rule? 
Anyway, this whole thing is a mess and I'm not sure who's more affected - the users or Musk himself 
. I mean, come on, a simple tweet about not wanting to pay for verification and suddenly the whole account is removed? It reeks of favoritism 
. I mean, one minute you're giving 'em the blue check mark, the next you're taking it away because they didn't pay up 
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. I mean, come on, if you've paid $8 a month for Twitter Blue, that's not exactly equality in action 
. And then there's Musk's little side project with dogecoin - yeah, that's definitely not a coincidence 
. It seems like Elon Musk's decision-making process has devolved into more of an experiment than a calculated policy 
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. And let's not forget the added layer of complexity with Twitter Blue and dogecoin 
. But for now, it seems like the platform is stuck in a state of confusion and controversy 
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. What's next, is everyone gonna have to start paying to be verified? That's just crazy 
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. This whole system is like a recipe for disaster 
. And let's be real, Elon Musk's motives are always gonna be called into question 
? Newsflash, Elon: you can't just swap verification for cash and expect everyone to play along 
. Either make verification fair or get rid of it all together