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. Some VIP Twitter users awoke on Saturday expecting to have lost their coveted blue verification check marks in a purge announced by Elon Musk. Instead, Twitter seemed to target accounts from a major publication Musk dislikes and altered the language on its site in a way that obscures the reasons for user verification.
Twitter had announced that it would phase out blue checks granted under its old verification system, highlighting the protection of high-profile users at risk of impersonation. Musk stated that to remain verified, users would need to pay $8 per month to join the platform’s Twitter Blue subscription service, which has allowed accounts to pay for verification since December.
Over the weekend, most legacy blue check holders discovered that their verification marks had not disappeared but had been amended with a new label indicating, “This account is verified because it’s subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account.” This label makes it ambiguous if verified accounts truly belong to notable individuals or if they are users who have paid to join Twitter Blue.
Despite most accounts retaining their blue check, one high-profile account that lost its verification was the primary account for the New York Times, which had refused to pay for verification. Following a meme posted by an account that interacts with Musk regarding the Times’ lack of payment for verification, Musk replied, “Oh ok, we’ll take it off then.” Musk then criticized the Times in a series of tweets, claiming the coverage to be boring and “propaganda.”
The confusion created by Twitter’s feature changes and Musk’s involvement raises concerns for users, particularly high-profile accounts that have been a key selling point for the platform. Twitter’s decision-making and Musk’s influence on the platform are highlighted through these circumstances.
While the New York Times’ main account lost its blue check, its other accounts like those for arts, travel, and books content remained verified. Twitter did not respond to a request for comment, possibly due to layoffs of most of its public relations staff last fall.
In another peculiar move, Twitter replaced its blue bird logo with doge, the cryptocurrency dogecoin meme that Musk has endorsed. This replacement coincided with a 20% increase in the price of dogecoin on Monday.
Musk had been hinting at removing “legacy” blue check marks from users verified under Twitter’s old system since his acquisition of Twitter last fall. After numerous changes and relaunches of its verification system, Twitter faced backlash from prominent users against charging for a feature that ensures safety from impersonation.
The alteration in the verification label could potentially make it easier for scammers to impersonate high-profile users, raising concerns among experts in online behavior. Musk has argued for equal treatment through Twitter’s verification system, stating that there shouldn’t be different standards for celebrities.
With Musk emphasizing that only verified accounts will be recommended in users’ “For You” feeds starting on April 15, the push for verification may contribute to revenue generation, aiding Musk in managing considerable debt from purchasing Twitter for $44 billion.