Musk’s Twitter vows to remove blue check marks, but targets New York Times instead

Are you a user looking to partner with an awesome company that 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 influential Twitter users recently woke up to some changes on their accounts. Twitter had announced a verification checkmark purge, but it seemed to have targeted a major publication Elon Musk dislikes, rather than the expected checkmark removals.

The older verification system on Twitter was being phased out. Elon Musk had suggested that users would need to subscribe to the Twitter Blue service for $8 per month to retain their verification status. Despite the announcement, many users who had the blue checkmarks found that their verification remained, but the message on their profiles had been updated to include information about subscribing to Twitter Blue. This change has caused confusion as it’s not clear anymore if verified accounts are distinguished individuals or users who have subscribed to Twitter Blue.

Interestingly, the New York Times account lost its blue verification mark over the weekend after refusing to pay for verification. Musk responded to a meme about the situation and remarked on Twitter that they would remove the verification mark. Following that, Musk criticized the Times in a series of Tweets, calling their coverage boring and “propaganda”. These events demonstrate how Twitter has caused turmoil among high-profile accounts due to feature changes and how Musk’s influence often shapes decisions on the platform.

While the New York Times’ main account lost verification, its subsidiary accounts remained verified, without much clarity on why other news outlets have different verification marks. It’s worth noting that the New York Times remains firm in its decision not to pay for verification. Twitter has not commented on these weekend events, which adds to the confusion arising from the changes.

In another unexpected move, Twitter’s logo was swapped with a symbol representing the cryptocurrency dogecoin, which Musk has promoted. This change led to a 20% increase in the price of dogecoin. Musk had been vocal about removing “legacy” blue verification marks since acquiring Twitter, prompting changes to the verification system.

Furthermore, Musk plans to recommend only verified accounts in users’ “For You” feeds starting April 15. This initiative is part of his efforts to treat all users equally and potentially generate revenue for the platform. Ultimately, these changes to Twitter’s verification system may have unintended consequences, potentially making it easier for scammers to target high-profile users. Musk’s focus on equity and revenue generation underscores the evolving landscape of social media platforms.

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