Elon Musk's plan to revamp Twitter's verification system has backfired, with the social media platform confusing users by singling out a single high-profile account for removal of its coveted blue check mark. Instead of carrying out his threat to "wind down" the legacy blue checks, which were meant to protect prominent users from impersonation, Musk appears to have targeted the New York Times' main account after it expressed opposition to paying for verification.
The Times had previously stated that it would not pay for the service, and instead asked Twitter if it could be exempt. However, Musk responded by tweeting "Oh ok, we'll take it off then," before lashing out at the newspaper in a series of tweets criticizing its coverage as boring and propaganda.
This move has highlighted how Musk's approach to managing Twitter is often guided by whims rather than policy, leaving users confused and uncertain about what changes are being made. The platform's verification system was already under scrutiny after a wave of celebrity impersonations on the site, but the decision to target high-profile accounts for removal of their blue checks seems counterintuitive.
The new label appended to verified accounts has also raised concerns that it may be used to scam or impersonate users, particularly as experts argue that reserving verification for paid users may not necessarily reduce the number of bots on the site. Meanwhile, Musk's decision to replace Twitter's blue bird logo with doge, a meme representing the cryptocurrency dogecoin he has promoted, has sent the price of dogecoin soaring.
The controversy has sparked questions about Musk's leadership style and his approach to managing Twitter's complex ecosystem. As the platform continues to evolve, users will be watching closely to see how Musk's plans unfold.
The Times had previously stated that it would not pay for the service, and instead asked Twitter if it could be exempt. However, Musk responded by tweeting "Oh ok, we'll take it off then," before lashing out at the newspaper in a series of tweets criticizing its coverage as boring and propaganda.
This move has highlighted how Musk's approach to managing Twitter is often guided by whims rather than policy, leaving users confused and uncertain about what changes are being made. The platform's verification system was already under scrutiny after a wave of celebrity impersonations on the site, but the decision to target high-profile accounts for removal of their blue checks seems counterintuitive.
The new label appended to verified accounts has also raised concerns that it may be used to scam or impersonate users, particularly as experts argue that reserving verification for paid users may not necessarily reduce the number of bots on the site. Meanwhile, Musk's decision to replace Twitter's blue bird logo with doge, a meme representing the cryptocurrency dogecoin he has promoted, has sent the price of dogecoin soaring.
The controversy has sparked questions about Musk's leadership style and his approach to managing Twitter's complex ecosystem. As the platform continues to evolve, users will be watching closely to see how Musk's plans unfold.
IT'S LIKE HE THOUGHT HE COULD JUST DO WHATEVER HE WANTED AND GET AWAY WITH IT, BUT INSTEAD HE'S CAUSING CHAOS AND CONFUSION AMONG USERS. I MEAN COME ON, ELON, IF YOU'RE GOING TO CHANGE THE RULES, AT LEAST BE CONSISTENT ABOUT IT!!! 
. But seriously, why did Musk have to go and take away the blue check mark from The New York Times? They were just trying to opt out of paying for it, fair enough. And now everyone's wondering if this is gonna make things worse or better... I don't know, man 
. It feels like Musk's just winging it on Twitter and hoping for the best 
.
so this is what happens when u try 2 take away blue checks 
like what even is the point of singling out one account? @nytimes got some major shade 
and now their blue check is gone? 
i mean who wouldn't wanna jump on the meme train? 
this whole thing is just a hot mess 
. I mean, who does Elon Musk think he is? He's all about the drama and trying to stir up trouble. I remember when Twitter was a more laid back place, you know? Before all these high profile accounts came along and started causing a ruckus... anyway, back in my day, we didn't need verification badges to prove we were who we said we were 
. We just had our names and that was it! Now it's like Musk is trying to make Twitter into some kind of fancy club or something... but honestly, I'm not sure what the point of it all is 
! Elon's all over the place 
. First, he's gonna wind down blue checks 
then suddenly targets The New York Times 
thanks to him 
. Can't trust the guy 
. Verification system is already a mess 
. Maybe Musk should focus on fixing problems instead of tweeting about them 
.
. Twitter's always been a wild ride, but now it's like they're spinning out of control 
i mean i get it, he wants to make money off it or something but targeting one high profile account like that is just weird 
It's meant to protect users, not play games. And now people are worried that the new label will be used by scammers... not cool 
. I'm not sure if he even knows what he's doing at this point.
The verification system is already being questioned, now Musk's just making it worse by making high-profile accounts pay for it? It's like, no thanks, dude. And what's with the doge logo thing? Is that even real life? 
Musk's plan was always gonna backfire because he's trying to control everything from the top and it's not working out well for him. He's more interested in being dramatic and stirring up controversy than actually solving the issues on Twitter 
And let's be real, targeting high-profile accounts won't stop bots from coming in – it'll just make people wonder what's next 
, but hey, that's part of his charm 
. one thing's for sure, users are going to be super confused about what's happening on the platform 
.
. It's like he's trying to stir up drama instead of making good decisions 
.
. Can't we just have a stable system for once? 
. This whole thing is just a huge mess, and I don't see it getting sorted out anytime soon 
... it's like he thinks we're all just gonna follow him down the rabbit hole of dogecoin madness 
.
. Why target one account instead of a bigger policy change? It feels like he's just winging it and going with the flow 
️ The price of dogecoin is already crazy high 
i'm low-key concerned about how this is gonna affect the platform, especially with the new label thing... what if ppl use it to scam us?!