Elon Musk's plan for a Twitter Blue subscription service to provide verified checks has hit a snag, leaving many high-profile users bewildered. The billionaire CEO had promised to "wind down" blue check marks in April, but instead seems to have singled out the New York Times' main account, removing its coveted verification badge.
The move is part of Musk's ongoing campaign against what he calls "legacy" blue checks, which he believes unfairly favors high-profile users. However, this latest twist has created confusion and raised concerns about the transparency of Twitter's new verification system.
Most legacy blue check holders were relieved to find that their verification marks remained intact over the weekend, but with a new label reading: "This account is verified because it's subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account." This language makes it unclear whether verified accounts are notable individuals or simply users who have paid to join Twitter Blue.
The New York Times' main account lost its blue check after Musk took to Twitter to mock the outlet, claiming that the coverage was "boring" and "propaganda." The move is just the latest example of Musk's tendency to guide decisions on Twitter by whim rather than policy.
Despite the confusion, it appears that other accounts associated with the New York Times will remain verified. It remains unclear why the publication does not have a gold "organizations" check mark, like accounts for other news outlets.
Twitter has been under fire for its handling of verification, particularly when it comes to impersonators and bots on the platform. Experts say that reserving verification for paid users may not reduce the number of bots on the site.
Musk has previously argued that changes to Twitter's verification system are intended to "treat everyone equally." However, critics argue that this approach drives revenue and creates a new standard that unfairly favors those who pay for premium features.
The move is part of Musk's ongoing campaign against what he calls "legacy" blue checks, which he believes unfairly favors high-profile users. However, this latest twist has created confusion and raised concerns about the transparency of Twitter's new verification system.
Most legacy blue check holders were relieved to find that their verification marks remained intact over the weekend, but with a new label reading: "This account is verified because it's subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account." This language makes it unclear whether verified accounts are notable individuals or simply users who have paid to join Twitter Blue.
The New York Times' main account lost its blue check after Musk took to Twitter to mock the outlet, claiming that the coverage was "boring" and "propaganda." The move is just the latest example of Musk's tendency to guide decisions on Twitter by whim rather than policy.
Despite the confusion, it appears that other accounts associated with the New York Times will remain verified. It remains unclear why the publication does not have a gold "organizations" check mark, like accounts for other news outlets.
Twitter has been under fire for its handling of verification, particularly when it comes to impersonators and bots on the platform. Experts say that reserving verification for paid users may not reduce the number of bots on the site.
Musk has previously argued that changes to Twitter's verification system are intended to "treat everyone equally." However, critics argue that this approach drives revenue and creates a new standard that unfairly favors those who pay for premium features.
. I don't trust Musk's intentions on this one. First off, he's removing the blue check from legit news outlets like the New York Times, and now it's all about who's paying for Twitter Blue? That's just another way to manipulate the system and line his pockets 
. And what's with the new label? It's super confusing! I mean, I get that he wants to "treat everyone equally," but this approach is all about catering to the rich folks who can afford a premium subscription 
. It's not exactly the transparency we need on Twitter 
.
I don't know about this one... so they're gonna make all the 'legacy' blue checks look different now? Like what's up with that? 
Like, don't @ me, they got roasted by Elon himself! 
But for real tho, I hope they figure out a better way to do this verification thingy so it's not just a mess. 
and now it's all confusing again! like, what's up with the "verified because you're subscribed to Twitter Blue" label? doesn't make sense, right? and now i'm wondering if verified accounts are just people who pay for a fancy check or if there's actual meaning behind it 
like, what about news organizations? shouldn't they have some sort of special badge too? 
. And what's with the new label? Like, isn't verification supposed to be about who you are, not how much you're willing to shell out 
.
. And don't even get me started on how this might affect smaller accounts who can't just pay to stay verified 
.
This guy is all about stirring up controversy and making a mess on purpose... Newsflash, Elon: Verified checks aren't just about high-profile users being special, they're meant to help people verify who they're interacting with online. Now he's basically turning it into a pay-to-play system? 
And what's with the new label? 
It's like he's trying to make everyone question whether they're actually verified or not.
It's gonna take some time to figure out where things stand with Twitter's verification system.
. Verified checks should be about the content, not who's got deep pockets 
. And what's with the weird new language? "Verified because they're subscribed" doesn't sound legit 
.
i mean, what's next? removing all the 'notables' from your timeline because they haven't paid for Twitter Blue? 
anyone else think Twitter Blue should be called Twitter "Pay Me, Please"? 
. It's like he's playing with fire 
, trying to change the rules and confuse everyone at the same time. The fact that he took away the blue check from The New York Times' main account because of a Twitter rant 
? That's just weird. I'm all for calling out fake news, but not on this level 
. i mean, i'm all for transparency and fairness on twitter, but this 'verified' label now? it's just too vague 
. it's like you're trying to troll them or something 
.
. First you say one thing, then you do another and now it seems like you're making up new rules as you go along 
. It's super confusing for the rest of us who just wanna use the platform without having to navigate all this drama 
.
. I know you claim it's all about treating everyone equally, but when it comes down to it, it feels like you're just trying to make a quick buck off of people who are willing to pay for your fancy features 
We need some real policy changes, not just a fancy new label to stick on our accounts 
i mean i get it he's trying to crack down on "legacy" checks but this whole thing just feels so shady