Elon Musk's Twitter Purge: A Misfire or Masterstroke?
When Elon Musk announced that his Twitter would be purging blue check marks, the move was expected to impact a wide range of verified users. However, instead of enforcing the purge across the board, it appears that the billionaire has singled out one account - that of the New York Times.
The move has raised eyebrows and sparked confusion among users, as most legacy blue check holders were not affected by the purge. Instead, their verification marks were simply appended with a new label reading: "This account is verified because it's subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account." This label makes it unclear whether verified accounts are actually notable individuals or simply users who have paid to join Twitter Blue.
The move appears to be aimed at the New York Times, which had previously told CNN that it would not pay for verification. The newspaper's main account lost its blue check mark over the weekend, while its other accounts, such as those for its arts, travel, and books content, remained verified.
Musk responded to the Times' loss of its blue check with a tweet saying "Oh ok, we'll take it off then." He also lashed out at the newspaper in a series of tweets, claiming that its coverage is boring and "propaganda."
The move highlights how Musk often appears to guide decisions about Twitter by whim rather than policy. The new label could risk making it easier for people to scam or impersonate high-profile users, while experts have also questioned whether reserving verification for paid users will reduce the number of bots on the site.
Musk has previously presented changes to Twitter's verification system as a way of "treating everyone equally." However, the move appears to be driven by revenue considerations, with Musk seeking to monetize the blue check mark feature.
The price of dogecoin, which is represented by the meme that has replaced Twitter's logo, shot up 20% on Monday. It remains to be seen how this move will impact the platform and its users in the long run.
When Elon Musk announced that his Twitter would be purging blue check marks, the move was expected to impact a wide range of verified users. However, instead of enforcing the purge across the board, it appears that the billionaire has singled out one account - that of the New York Times.
The move has raised eyebrows and sparked confusion among users, as most legacy blue check holders were not affected by the purge. Instead, their verification marks were simply appended with a new label reading: "This account is verified because it's subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account." This label makes it unclear whether verified accounts are actually notable individuals or simply users who have paid to join Twitter Blue.
The move appears to be aimed at the New York Times, which had previously told CNN that it would not pay for verification. The newspaper's main account lost its blue check mark over the weekend, while its other accounts, such as those for its arts, travel, and books content, remained verified.
Musk responded to the Times' loss of its blue check with a tweet saying "Oh ok, we'll take it off then." He also lashed out at the newspaper in a series of tweets, claiming that its coverage is boring and "propaganda."
The move highlights how Musk often appears to guide decisions about Twitter by whim rather than policy. The new label could risk making it easier for people to scam or impersonate high-profile users, while experts have also questioned whether reserving verification for paid users will reduce the number of bots on the site.
Musk has previously presented changes to Twitter's verification system as a way of "treating everyone equally." However, the move appears to be driven by revenue considerations, with Musk seeking to monetize the blue check mark feature.
The price of dogecoin, which is represented by the meme that has replaced Twitter's logo, shot up 20% on Monday. It remains to be seen how this move will impact the platform and its users in the long run.
. I mean, what's next? Purgin' all the journalists who don't get paid in crypto? It's just gonna open up a whole can of worms about fake accounts and bots 
. And now it's all about payin' for blue checks? That's just a money grab 
. I get that Musk wants to shake things up, but this is just gonna confuse everyone and potentially ruin the whole Twitter experience 
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Anyway, it's kinda funny that he's trying to monetize blue check marks. Guess that's one way to make Twitter more... doge-friendly 
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. What's next? Paying for engagement or something? 
This whole thing feels like a PR stunt to me, and I'm not buying it 
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. And what about all those users who paid for verification just because they wanted to look legit? 
. Twitter's losing its credibility by the minute, and Musk needs to get his act together before it's too late 
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i think elon musk needs to rethink his strategy here like totally clearify the new label system ASAP so ppl know whats up with verification...and maybe reconsider not using it for paid subscribers lol...i mean idc about the blue check mark but if its gonna be used as a revenue stream then let's do it right 
And now they're stuck with this weird label that's just confusing everyone? 
It feels like he's more interested in stirring up drama than actually making Twitter a better platform. I mean, isn't the point of having blue check marks to trust the accounts and know they're legit? 
And now it's like anyone can get a label for like, 8 bucks a month 
. I mean, who's supposed to trust the label now? Is it just some scammer gonna pay for Twitter Blue and get a fancy label too? 
I mean, you gotta wonder why he chose to go after the New York Times like that? They're not even paying for that verification anyway 
And what's up with this new label thingy? It's all unclear and kinda shady 
. First off, it's super unclear what's goin' on with all these new labels 
. I mean, if you're not payin' for Twitter Blue, why are your verification marks still stickin' around? 
. I mean, if you can just pay for a verification label, what's stoppin' people from makin' fake accounts lookin' like they're verified? 
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