Elon Musk's plan to purge Twitter blue check marks from legacy users has taken a confusing turn. The billionaire entrepreneur announced that he would "begin winding down" blue checks granted under the old verification system, which was supposed to protect high-profile users at risk of impersonation, on April 1. To stay verified, users would have to pay $8 per month for Twitter Blue subscription service.
However, instead of going through with this plan, Twitter appeared to single out one account - that of a major publication Musk dislikes. The New York Times' main account lost its blue check over the weekend after posting a meme about the Times declining to pay for verification. Musk responded by tweeting "Oh ok, we'll take it off then," and later lashed out at the Times in a series of tweets, claiming their coverage is boring and propaganda.
The move has raised concerns that Twitter's verification system is becoming increasingly opaque. Most legacy blue check holders found that their verification marks had not disappeared but were instead appended 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 actually notable individuals or simply users who have paid to join Twitter Blue.
Experts warn that this change could risk making it easier for people to scam or impersonate high-profile users. By reserving verification for paid users, it's not clear that the number of bots on the site will decrease, an issue Musk has raised on and off over the past year.
Musk's decision also highlights his tendency to guide decisions through whims rather than policy. The billionaire claims he wants to "treat everyone equally" but the new verification system appears to favor those who pay for Twitter Blue.
The move is another example of Twitter creating confusion and whiplash among its users, particularly high-profile accounts that have long been a key selling point for the platform. As Musk continues to shape the platform in his image, one thing becomes clear: transparency is not his top priority.
However, instead of going through with this plan, Twitter appeared to single out one account - that of a major publication Musk dislikes. The New York Times' main account lost its blue check over the weekend after posting a meme about the Times declining to pay for verification. Musk responded by tweeting "Oh ok, we'll take it off then," and later lashed out at the Times in a series of tweets, claiming their coverage is boring and propaganda.
The move has raised concerns that Twitter's verification system is becoming increasingly opaque. Most legacy blue check holders found that their verification marks had not disappeared but were instead appended 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 actually notable individuals or simply users who have paid to join Twitter Blue.
Experts warn that this change could risk making it easier for people to scam or impersonate high-profile users. By reserving verification for paid users, it's not clear that the number of bots on the site will decrease, an issue Musk has raised on and off over the past year.
Musk's decision also highlights his tendency to guide decisions through whims rather than policy. The billionaire claims he wants to "treat everyone equally" but the new verification system appears to favor those who pay for Twitter Blue.
The move is another example of Twitter creating confusion and whiplash among its users, particularly high-profile accounts that have long been a key selling point for the platform. As Musk continues to shape the platform in his image, one thing becomes clear: transparency is not his top priority.
come on, Twitter! You're just messing with people's heads now. First you say you're gonna get rid of those blue checks for free users, and then out of nowhere you start targeting some major publication. It's like you can't even be consistent.
... so he's just gonna start taking away blue checks from legit accounts and then only offer them to people who pay for the subscription service... it don't make sense why they had to single out The New York Times tho, that was just a meme lol... now most of the legacy blue check holders have like this new label on their profiles and I'm not sure what's going on with all that 
. I mean, Elon's plan was supposed to protect high-profile users from impersonation, but now it just feels like he's playing games with verification labels... and the New York Times got caught in the middle of it all 
. It's like Musk is using his platform to make a point about transparency, but really what he's doing is hiding behind a cloud of confusion 
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. He talks about treating everyone equally, but what about those who can't afford $8 a month? Does their voice not matter? 
. I wonder if anyone is really considering the impact of these changes on the platform and its users 
. First, they're gonna charge us to stay verified and now it's like who gets in and who doesn't? This whole "paid subscription" thing is just a mess 
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how are we supposed to know who's legit and who's not if they're all just paying for it? 
like musk wants to treat everyone equally but it feels like he's just playing favorites when it comes to money. 
i wish he'd just stick to a solid plan instead of making up stuff as he goes along...
. I mean, on one hand, Musk's trying to shake things up and make Twitter more inclusive, but on the other hand, it feels like he's just trying to line his pockets with cash 
. And let's not forget, this whole thing is just another example of Musk's tendency to make decisions based on his own whims rather than following a clear policy 
It's not even like they were paying attention or anything! And now all these legacy users are getting a weird new label and I'm just over here thinking what's the point of verifying anyone anymore? 
is it just gonna be some fancy paid subscription to prove who's important? 
The New York Times lost its blue check and then got roasted by Musk for not paying for verification. meanwhile, most legacy accounts are just stuck with this weird new label that doesn't make sense 
. And honestly, I think Twitter needs to rethink its verification system altogether. Can't we have a fairer way of distinguishing between legit accounts and paid influencers? 
and I'm still trying to figure out how to use it lol... anyway, so like what's up with this Twitter Blue thing? I thought paying $8 a month was just for some extra features, not getting a blue check mark? 
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and only 12% thought it would make the platform better 
. It's crazy how much attention this is getting!
. It's gonna be interesting to see how this plays out 
. I'm not sure anyone's really coming out ahead with this new system 
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That would be super problematic for all of us who actually care about what we see on our feeds.
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