Elon Musk's Twitter Purge Hasn't Gone as Planned, Targeting a Single Major Publication
In an effort to weed out blue check marks from legacy users, Elon Musk's Twitter purge has taken an unexpected turn. Instead of eliminating the coveted verification badge for all high-profile users, the platform targeted a single major publication that had previously expressed skepticism about paying for the service.
The New York Times' main account lost its blue check mark over the weekend after Elon Musk tweeted "Oh ok, we'll take it off then" in response to an account from the newspaper engaging with Musk's anti-legacy verification stance. This move has sparked confusion among users and raises questions about Twitter's priorities under Musk's leadership.
A new label now appears on legacy blue check holders, stating that their accounts are verified because they're subscribed to Twitter Blue or are a legacy verified account. However, this language obscures whether these accounts are notable individuals or simply users who have paid for verification. The change has been met with criticism from experts, who warn it could make it easier for scammers and impersonators to target high-profile users.
While the New York Times' main account lost its blue check mark, other accounts, such as those for its arts, travel, and books content, remained verified. It's unclear why the newspaper doesn't have a gold "organizations" check mark, like other reputable news outlets.
The move has also highlighted Musk's tendency to guide decisions through whims rather than policy. The billionaire's ongoing campaign against legacy blue checks began shortly after he bought Twitter last fall. The paid feature was initially launched in December but was put on pause due to concerns about celebrity and corporate impersonators.
Musk has previously presented the changes as a way of treating everyone equally, stating that there shouldn't be different standards for celebrities. However, critics argue that this plan could drive revenue and is not designed to address the issues of scammers and impersonators on the platform.
The Twitter purge also comes ahead of Musk's new plan to recommend only verified accounts in users' "For You" feeds alongside the accounts they follow, starting on April 15.
In an effort to weed out blue check marks from legacy users, Elon Musk's Twitter purge has taken an unexpected turn. Instead of eliminating the coveted verification badge for all high-profile users, the platform targeted a single major publication that had previously expressed skepticism about paying for the service.
The New York Times' main account lost its blue check mark over the weekend after Elon Musk tweeted "Oh ok, we'll take it off then" in response to an account from the newspaper engaging with Musk's anti-legacy verification stance. This move has sparked confusion among users and raises questions about Twitter's priorities under Musk's leadership.
A new label now appears on legacy blue check holders, stating that their accounts are verified because they're subscribed to Twitter Blue or are a legacy verified account. However, this language obscures whether these accounts are notable individuals or simply users who have paid for verification. The change has been met with criticism from experts, who warn it could make it easier for scammers and impersonators to target high-profile users.
While the New York Times' main account lost its blue check mark, other accounts, such as those for its arts, travel, and books content, remained verified. It's unclear why the newspaper doesn't have a gold "organizations" check mark, like other reputable news outlets.
The move has also highlighted Musk's tendency to guide decisions through whims rather than policy. The billionaire's ongoing campaign against legacy blue checks began shortly after he bought Twitter last fall. The paid feature was initially launched in December but was put on pause due to concerns about celebrity and corporate impersonators.
Musk has previously presented the changes as a way of treating everyone equally, stating that there shouldn't be different standards for celebrities. However, critics argue that this plan could drive revenue and is not designed to address the issues of scammers and impersonators on the platform.
The Twitter purge also comes ahead of Musk's new plan to recommend only verified accounts in users' "For You" feeds alongside the accounts they follow, starting on April 15.
but at least people knew who was legit and who wasn't now everyone's just confused about who's verified and who's not 
and yeah this whole thing is super weird cuz i thought musk was tryna make the platform more transparent not less 
. Like, what's next? Elon just gonna make up rules as he goes along and expect everyone else to adapt? It's not about equality, fam - it's about lining his pockets with Twitter Blue cash 
. I mean, come on, if the New York Times doesn't have a gold check mark, what about all the other legit outlets that can't afford to pay for this verification nonsense? This whole thing just reeks of a PR stunt 
. And good luck trying to keep scammers and impersonators at bay with a new label - I bet it'll be like putting lipstick on a pig 
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. First, they start going after legacy publications and now it's like they're trying to create a whole new system where anyone can get that blue check mark for a price 
. And let's be real, the New York Times is one of the most reputable news outlets out there - they shouldn't have to beg for verification like some other accounts 
. I'm starting to think Elon Musk is playing a long game here... maybe he's trying to create an army of paid users who will do his bidding 
. Whatever it is, I'm not buying it (pun intended) 
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so elon musk tries to do this big twitter purge and its literally falling apart 
like he targets one major publication (nyt btw) and takes away their blue check mark but only for the main account lol what about all the other branches?! 
" idk man, this whole thing reeks of musk's signature whimsy 
but come on, dont pretend like its all about treating everyone equally when its pretty clear ur just trying to squeeze more $$ outta it 
. I mean, what about the real journalists and experts who are trying to do their job? Do they just magically become scammers because Elon Musk says so? 
It's like he's just throwing a bunch of darts at the wall and seeing what sticks 
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. Now it feels like it's just becoming another tool for Elon Musk to prove how smart he is 
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. and now there's this weird new label that's just gonna make it easier for scammers to target people... sounds like a recipe for disaster 
. i'm not surprised though, musk's always been about being unpredictable 
. I'm worried it'll just end up being another way for him to push his paid features on users 
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. I'm also still waiting for him to explain how this new "verified" label is gonna prevent scammers from targeting high-profile users... sounds like a buncha hooey to me 
. It makes sense to me that a newspaper like The New York Times would deserve extra credibility and verification 
. And what's with this new label thingy? It just feels like a bunch of mumbo-jumbo 
... musk's trying to make it all about "treat everyone equally" and stuff, but really it's just a bunch of hooey.
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. If we're gonna talk about fairness and equality on social media, we gotta be willing to put in the work and make some tough decisions, not just wing it and hope for the best. We should all be asking ourselves what we'd want if our own online accounts were being targeted by scammers. It's a good opportunity to reflect on how we value authenticity and credibility online 