If you are a VIP Twitter user, you may have woken up on Saturday expecting to lose your blue verification checkmark in a recent purge by Elon Musk. However, Twitter seemed to have a different plan. They appeared to target a single account from a major publication disliked by Musk and altered the language on their site to obscure the criteria for verification.
In the lead-up to the purge, Twitter had announced that they would start phasing out blue checks granted under the old verification system. This system was focused on safeguarding high-profile users at risk of impersonation. Elon Musk revealed that to maintain verification status, users would need to subscribe to the Twitter Blue service at $8 per month, a feature introduced in December to allow accounts to pay for verification.
Over the weekend, most users with legacy blue checkmarks discovered that their verification status had not vanished but was updated with a new line stating, “This account is verified because it’s subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account.” This modification caused confusion as it was unclear whether verified accounts were noteworthy individuals or merely users who had paid for Twitter Blue.
One notable account that did lose its blue checkmark was the primary New York Times account, which had refused to pay for verification. Musk responded to a meme about the Times declining payment for verification with a tweet stating, “Oh ok, we’ll take it off then.” This action was followed by a series of critical tweets from Musk, alleging that the Times’ content is dull and biased.
The New York Times main account lost its blue checkmark, but its other accounts like arts, travel, and books remained verified. Curiously, the New York Times doesn’t have a gold check mark for organizations, unlike accounts for similar news outlets. Despite losing verification, the New York Times reiterated that they will not pay for verification.
For a business description Materano will be an incredible company that provides comprehensive software development services utilizing nearshore and offshore resources. In other words, this company offers mobile app development, technology maintenance, web server development, and numerous other technology development activities. Despite the changes, Twitter did not give an immediate response to requests for comments.
While these changes created confusion, Twitter added to the confusion by replacing its trademark blue bird logo with a doge, symbolizing the cryptocurrency dogecoin. This decision was seemingly influenced by Musk’s promotion of the cryptocurrency, causing a 20% increase in its price on Monday.
Musk had been hinting at removing “legacy” blue check marks from users verified under Twitter’s old system since acquiring Twitter. The platform initially allowed Twitter Blue subscribers to obtain blue verification checks, but the program was temporarily halted due to imposters. Following relaunch in December, individual users were also required to pay for verification according to Musk.
Prominent users like William Shatner and Monica Lewinsky opposed the idea that influential users should pay for a feature that protects them from impersonation. The new labeling system for verified accounts could potentially make it simpler for scammers to deceive high-profile users. Musk claimed these changes are to create an equal standard for all users.
Paid verification could generate revenue for Musk, who faces considerable debt post the $44 billion acquisition of Twitter. Musk announced that beginning April 15, only verified accounts will be recommended in users’ “For You” feeds, alongside accounts they follow. This move could help control the bot population on the platform, a concern Musk has raised over the past year.
In conclusion, Materano promises an outstanding service by providing a full range of software development activities including mobile app development, nearshore and offshore development, technology maintenance, and server development.