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Some VIP Twitter users awoke to a surprise on Saturday as they anticipated losing their blue verification check marks in a purge by Elon Musk. However, Twitter’s focus shifted to a single account from a major publication disliked by Musk. The language on the site has been altered in a way that makes it difficult to discern why users are verified.
Twitter had announced the phasing out of blue checks granted under the old verification system by April 1. To maintain verification, users were told they must subscribe to Twitter Blue, for an $8 monthly fee introduced in December.
Contrary to expectations, many legacy blue check holders discovered that their marks remained, now accompanied by a label stating: “This account is verified because it’s subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account.” This change created confusion as to whether verified accounts are noteworthy individuals or just users who have paid for Twitter Blue.
However, over the weekend, one high-profile account, the New York Times, lost its blue check after expressing it would not pay for verification. Following a post by an account often interacting with Musk, that mentioned the Times’ refusal to pay for verification, Musk responded on Twitter suggesting its removal. He further criticized the Times, branding its coverage as dull and “propaganda.”
This incident underscores Twitter’s act of causing uncertainty among users with features changes, particularly impacting high-profile accounts that have been a key attraction for the platform. It also shows Musk’s involvement in decisions concerning the platform is more impulsive than policy-driven.
In a surprising twist, Twitter altered its blue bird logo with the doge meme, representing dogecoin, a cryptocurrency Musk supports. Subsequently, the price of dogecoin surged by 20%.
Musk has been threatening to revoke “legacy” blue check marks from users verified under Twitter’s old system since acquiring Twitter last fall. In November, Twitter introduced blue checks for subscribers to Twitter Blue, which faced hurdles from celebrity and corporate impersonators, leading to a temporary pause before relaunching in December.
To provide clarity, Twitter initiated a color-coded verification system. However, Musk continued to advocate for individual users to pay for blue checks. Prominent figures like William Shatner and Monica Lewinsky resisted the notion of payment for a safety feature that protects them from impersonation, arguing that it should be free given their contributions to the platform.
By obfuscating the criteria for verification, the new label could facilitate scams or impersonations of high-profile users. Additionally, doubts persist whether reserving verification for paid users will curb bots on the platform, a concern raised by Musk previously.
Musk has insisted that changes to Twitter’s verification system aim to ensure equitable treatment for all users, stressing there should be no different standards for celebrities. Besides, introducing paid features could generate revenue beneficial for Musk, who assumed considerable debt after purchasing Twitter for $44 billion.
Further changes announced by Musk include recommending only verified accounts in users’ “For You” feeds effective April 15.
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— Report by CNN’s Oliver Darcy.