Elon Musk's plan to scrub blue checkmarks from verified Twitter accounts has been a long-standing campaign, but his latest move has left many users confused. Instead of targeting all legacy blue check holders as promised, Musk singled out one account - the main Twitter page of The New York Times.
The New York Times had announced its decision not to pay for verification under Twitter's new Blue subscription service, which requires users to pay $8 per month to stay verified. However, on Saturday morning, Elon Musk took to Twitter and revealed that he would "take it off" the account, effectively revoking its blue checkmark.
The move has sparked a flurry of reactions from users and experts, who are questioning the logic behind Musk's decision-making process. The New York Times' other accounts, including those for its arts, travel, and books content, remain verified.
Twitter's new verification system now displays a label that reads: "This account is verified because it's subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account." This change has raised concerns about the potential risks of this approach, as it may make it easier for scammers to impersonate high-profile users.
Musk had previously argued that his changes would treat everyone equally, but the move has been seen by many as an example of his tendency to guide decisions through whims rather than policy. The fact that the New York Times was singled out also highlights Musk's well-documented disdain for mainstream media outlets and journalists.
The move comes ahead of a planned April 1 purge of legacy blue check marks, which would require verified accounts to pay $8 per month to stay verified under Twitter Blue. However, it remains unclear how this plan will be implemented and whether users will be given sufficient notice before the changes take effect.
As the platform continues to evolve under Musk's leadership, one thing is clear: the line between policy and whim is becoming increasingly blurred. The future of social media is uncertain, but one thing is certain - Elon Musk's Twitter is no longer a place for nuance and subtlety.
The New York Times had announced its decision not to pay for verification under Twitter's new Blue subscription service, which requires users to pay $8 per month to stay verified. However, on Saturday morning, Elon Musk took to Twitter and revealed that he would "take it off" the account, effectively revoking its blue checkmark.
The move has sparked a flurry of reactions from users and experts, who are questioning the logic behind Musk's decision-making process. The New York Times' other accounts, including those for its arts, travel, and books content, remain verified.
Twitter's new verification system now displays a label that reads: "This account is verified because it's subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account." This change has raised concerns about the potential risks of this approach, as it may make it easier for scammers to impersonate high-profile users.
Musk had previously argued that his changes would treat everyone equally, but the move has been seen by many as an example of his tendency to guide decisions through whims rather than policy. The fact that the New York Times was singled out also highlights Musk's well-documented disdain for mainstream media outlets and journalists.
The move comes ahead of a planned April 1 purge of legacy blue check marks, which would require verified accounts to pay $8 per month to stay verified under Twitter Blue. However, it remains unclear how this plan will be implemented and whether users will be given sufficient notice before the changes take effect.
As the platform continues to evolve under Musk's leadership, one thing is clear: the line between policy and whim is becoming increasingly blurred. The future of social media is uncertain, but one thing is certain - Elon Musk's Twitter is no longer a place for nuance and subtlety.
anyway its not like the ny times isnt making some noise online 
but still taking away blue checks from them just seems random to me dont they have a ton of followers or somethin? i mean, whats next, musk starts takin away blue checks from accounts with less than 1000 followers lol
I'm literally confused by this move from @elonmusk. Like, what even was the point of targeting @NYTimes first? It feels like he's trying to make a statement about mainstream media or something 
. And honestly, it just adds fuel to the fire that his decisions are more about drama than actual policy. I mean, if he's going to take away blue checks for everyone, why pick on one account? 
The label change is also super concerning - it's like he's making it easier for scammers to pretend to be someone they're not 
. And what's with the April 1 purge? Is this some kind of sick joke? I don't trust @elonmusk's vision for Twitter anymore... 
not impressed with musk's decision-making process... needs more transparency and clear guidelines before the april purge happens 
... and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but I do know that it's making me think about the role of power and influence in shaping our online experiences 
. newsflash elon: you can't just play favorites with your platform's policies 
. I mean, who single-handedly takes away the blue checkmark from The New York Times? It just seems like a weird move, especially since it's not like they were asking for special treatment or anything. And what's with all the confusion about who gets verified and who doesn't? It's just gonna lead to more chaos on the platform 
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. But at what cost? Only time will tell 
. And now we've got a whole label thing going on that's just begging for scammers to take advantage of it 
. And what's with the April 1 purge? Just great, more confusion for users 
. Can't wait to see how this whole thing plays out... not holding my breath 
. But singling out one account? That's just weird. I'm low-key worried about all the scams that could pop up with this new system. Can we trust that Elon is thinking things through or is he just winging it again? 
. Like, can't he just stick to his promises for once? 
The fact that he single-handedly revokes The New York Times' blue checkmark without any explanation is just ridiculous 
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. $8 a month for verified status? Are you kidding me?! 
It's like Musk is trying to price out all the users who actually care about having their voices heard online 
. Because right now, it feels like we're living in some kind of social media experiment gone wrong 
. I'm not saying Elon's the devil, but this whole situation feels like he's more interested in stirring the pot than making things better 
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. And now the whole legacy blue check thing is getting all messy 
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. It's like he's trying to send a message or something 
. And honestly, it just feels like another example of him not listening to experts and users 
. I mean, who needs a label on verified accounts anyway? 
any way im thinking twitter needs 2 r more transparent about whats gonna happen 2 all these legacy blue check holders who dont wanna pay $8/mo. its like they're punishing ppl 4 speaking out or somethin 
, especially since they're not paying for it anyway. but at the same time, I get why people are upset - it feels like another example of him making decisions on a whim rather than following through with his original plan