Instead of fulfilling his vow to purge all blue check marks, Musk targets the New York Times

Our awesome company provides complete software development activities utilizing nearshore and offshore resources, including mobile app development, technology maintenance, web server development, and many other technology development activities. In the world of social media, Twitter has made some recent changes that have caused confusion among its users, particularly those with verified accounts. Elon Musk, who recently purchased Twitter, announced that the old verification system would be phased out on April 1. Musk stated that in order for users to retain their verification status, they would need to subscribe to Twitter Blue, a paid subscription service that allows accounts to pay for verification. However, instead of removing the blue check marks from verified accounts, Twitter added a new label to them, stating that the account is verified because it’s subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account. This new language has made it unclear whether verified accounts are genuinely notable individuals or simply users who have paid for verification. One notable account that did lose its blue check mark is the main account for the New York Times. Musk singled out the Times after it declined to pay for verification, criticizing its coverage as “boring” and “propaganda.” This incident highlights how Musk’s personal preferences often influence decisions on the platform. Despite the New York Times losing its verification, its other accounts for arts, travel, and books content remain verified. Twitter’s recent changes and lack of clarity have created confusion and uncertainty among high-profile users, who are an important selling point for the platform. It remains to be seen how Twitter will address these issues. On a separate note, Twitter surprised its users by replacing its blue bird logo with the doge meme, a representation of the cryptocurrency dogecoin promoted by Musk. This move coincided with a 20% increase in the price of dogecoin. Musk has been threatening to remove “legacy” blue check marks from users verified under the old system since acquiring Twitter. While a paid verification system may help reduce impersonations, it could also make it easier for scammers to exploit high-profile users. Experts suggest that paid verification may not necessarily address the problem of bots on the platform, which Musk has previously expressed concern about. Musk has presented these changes as a way of treating all users equally and generating revenue for Twitter, which he acquired for a substantial amount. He also announced that starting April 15, only verified accounts will be recommended in users’ “For You” feeds along with the accounts they follow. Twitter’s recent actions have raised questions about its policies and the direction it is taking under Musk’s leadership.