Elon Musk’s Twitter promised a purge of blue check marks. Instead he singled out one account | CNN Business

Twitter Purge: How Elon Musk Single Out the New York Times

In a bizarre twist, Twitter's long-planned purge of blue check marks has not gone as expected. Instead of targeting high-profile users across the board, the platform singled out one notable account - that of the New York Times.

The main account for the prominent news outlet lost its coveted blue verification mark over the weekend, leaving many to wonder why. The Times had previously stated it would not pay for Twitter's new subscription-based verification service, which requires users to pay $8 per month to join Twitter Blue.

Elon Musk, who has been threatening to take away "legacy" blue check marks since buying Twitter last fall, responded to the situation with a characteristic tweet. After a user posted a meme about the Times declining to pay for verification, Musk said, "Oh ok, we'll take it off then." He then lashed out at the outlet in a series of tweets, claiming its coverage is boring and "propaganda."

The move highlights how Musk often appears to make decisions based on whims rather than policy. While Twitter had announced plans to wind down blue checks granted under its old system on April 1, the new label for verified accounts has obscured the reason why users are considered notable.

Most legacy blue check holders found that their verification marks had not disappeared but were instead appended with a new label, leaving it unclear whether verified accounts are actual individuals or simply users who have paid to join Twitter Blue. Other accounts from major publications, including those for its arts, travel, and books content, remained verified.

The situation has sparked concerns about the clarity of Twitter's verification system. Experts say that by reserving verification for paid users, Musk may be creating an environment where people can scam or impersonate high-profile users more easily. The move also raises questions about how Twitter will distinguish between verified accounts and those who are simply paying to join its platform.

The confusion has added another layer of whiplash to users, many of whom have long relied on blue checks as a way to verify the authenticity of Twitter's most prominent users.

omg this is crazy so like i get that elon musk wants to shake things up but idk man... taking away the new york times' blue check mark without any warning? it just seems like a random move and honestly its kinda weird how he's targeting them specifically. i mean, you'd think he'd want to keep some kind of consistency with the verification system, right? anyway, this whole thing has me thinking... is verified status even worth anything anymore?

I'm not surprised that Elon Musk went after The New York Times - they've been a thorn in his side since day one . But what really concerns me is how this move will affect the integrity of Twitter's verification system . By reserving verification for paid users, Musk may be creating an environment where scammers can run wild and impersonate high-profile users with ease .

I think it's also worth considering the potential consequences for smaller publications and independent journalists who rely on blue checks to build trust with their audience . If verified accounts are just a paid upgrade, how will we know what's real and what's not? The confusion is already adding up, and I worry that Musk's whims will continue to disrupt the very fabric of Twitter's platform .

Ugh, come on! Elon Musk is at it again with his weird decisions. Can't he just stick to a policy? The NY Times didn't pay for that fancy new verification service and yet they lost their blue check mark. It's not like it's some big deal. And now everyone's freaking out because the system got all mixed up... newsflash: if you're paying to join Twitter, you get a label on your account, okay? It's not that hard. And honestly, I don't see what's so special about the NY Times anyway. They can just keep posting their articles and if people care, they'll like them... and if they don't, they won't. Simple as that!

idk what's up with this new twitter thing ... so now only ppl who pay $8/month get that fancy blue check? seems kinda weird to me. like, can't they just stick with the old system if it ain't broke? and omg elon musk is being his usual troll self again . news outlets should be verified regardless of whether they're paying or not, don't you think? it's like, shouldn't our trust in certain ppl be based on who they are, not how much cash they're willing to shell out . anyway, this whole thing is just a mess

So I think it's pretty wild that Elon Musk is making decisions about Twitter's verification system based on his own mood . The fact that he took away the New York Times' blue check mark just because they didn't want to pay for it is pretty shady . It shows how much control he has over the platform and how he can make changes without really following through with any real policies . And now the verification system is all messed up, making it harder for people to know who's real and who's not . I don't think this is a good look for Twitter at all .

I mean, come on Elon! Can't you just stick to your guns and not be all over the place like that? First it's blue check marks for everyone, then suddenly only people who pay $8 a month get one... what's up with this?! And now the NYT gets singled out for being boring and propaganda... that's low. The whole thing just feels so arbitrary. I'm not sure how Twitter is even supposed to function if they can't even make up their minds about verification. And honestly, who's going to be able to trust verified accounts when anyone can pay for it? It's just a mess...

I'm thinking, Twitter is supposed to be this super powerful tool for news and info, but now it feels like Musk is just messing with people's minds... I mean, the New York Times is one of the biggest names out there, but apparently their fact-checking skills aren't enough to warrant a blue check anymore . It's wild that Elon is using some meme as an excuse to take away their verification mark, it feels like a classic case of Twitter drama. And now we're left with all these questions about who gets verified and who doesn't... is it just people who pay for the upgrade or are they actually notable accounts? This whole thing has me wondering if Musk's idea of "notability" is even something that can be measured .

I'm shocked at how quickly Elon Musk flipped his plan on the New York Times! He went from wanting to take away their blue check mark to basically taking it away because they wouldn't pay for verification. It's like, if you're not going to play by the rules, why should you get the benefits? This whole thing is just so much drama and I'm not sure how Twitter is going to recover from this mess. The fact that some accounts from major publications got verified while others didn't is also super confusing - like, what's the point of having a verification system if it's just going to be arbitrary?

What is goin' on with Elon Musk at Twitter lol? I mean I get it, he wants to make cash off Blue Check and all but singlin' out one big account like that is just weird . Like why the New York Times, right? They're not tryin' to scam nobody or spread propaganda, they're just doin' their job. And now all these legit users are gettin confused 'cause their blue checks ain't appearin' on them . I hope Musk gets his act together and makes Twitter's verification system more clear . This is just another reason why you can't trust some people in charge...

I don't think Elon Musk is trying to be malicious here... I mean, he's still single out that one account and it does seem weird why The New York Times got targeted . Like, what did they do wrong? It would've been clear if the blue check marks just disappeared for everyone on April 1, right? But now we're all stuck with this confusion ... I'm a bit worried that people might start to impersonate others or scam them because of this... Can't Twitter just clarify things already?

Musk is really testing people's patience now... I mean, who needs paid verification when you got real journalists working hard to bring us truth? The whole thing feels so shady... how many others are gonna get hit like the NYT?