Elon Musk's Twitter Purge Falls Flat, Targeting Single High-Profile Account Instead of Entire Legacy Blue Checks
In a bizarre twist, Twitter CEO Elon Musk's plan to purge legacy blue check marks from users verified under the platform's old system has backfired. Initially announced as part of a broader effort to shake up the verification process and introduce a new paid feature, the move was expected to significantly alter the way high-profile accounts operate on the site.
However, instead of a comprehensive overhaul, Musk seemed to have singled out one major publication – The New York Times – for removal from its coveted blue check mark. While other legacy blue check holders found their verification marks unchanged, they were now being labeled as "verified because it's subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account."
The move has left many users confused and wondering why the change was applied to only one high-profile account. The New York Times' main account had previously declined to pay for verification, reportedly because Musk had taken issue with its coverage of him.
Musk responded to the criticism by taking aim at The New York Times in a series of tweets, claiming that his coverage is "boring" and amounts to "propaganda." This latest development has raised questions about Musk's true intentions behind the changes to Twitter's verification system.
Critics argue that the new label on legacy blue check holders could make it easier for scammers to impersonate high-profile users. Experts in inauthentic behavior have also expressed concerns that reserving verification for paid users may not necessarily reduce the number of bots on the site, an issue Musk has raised repeatedly over the past year.
While Musk has presented changes to Twitter's verification system as a way of "treating everyone equally," the move appears to have created confusion and uncertainty among users. The billionaire CEO has now introduced another layer of complexity by replacing Twitter's blue bird logo with doge, the meme representing cryptocurrency dogecoin, which has seen its price surge 20% on Monday.
As Musk continues to push his vision for Twitter, many are left wondering whether his efforts will ultimately serve to enhance or undermine the platform.
In a bizarre twist, Twitter CEO Elon Musk's plan to purge legacy blue check marks from users verified under the platform's old system has backfired. Initially announced as part of a broader effort to shake up the verification process and introduce a new paid feature, the move was expected to significantly alter the way high-profile accounts operate on the site.
However, instead of a comprehensive overhaul, Musk seemed to have singled out one major publication – The New York Times – for removal from its coveted blue check mark. While other legacy blue check holders found their verification marks unchanged, they were now being labeled as "verified because it's subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account."
The move has left many users confused and wondering why the change was applied to only one high-profile account. The New York Times' main account had previously declined to pay for verification, reportedly because Musk had taken issue with its coverage of him.
Musk responded to the criticism by taking aim at The New York Times in a series of tweets, claiming that his coverage is "boring" and amounts to "propaganda." This latest development has raised questions about Musk's true intentions behind the changes to Twitter's verification system.
Critics argue that the new label on legacy blue check holders could make it easier for scammers to impersonate high-profile users. Experts in inauthentic behavior have also expressed concerns that reserving verification for paid users may not necessarily reduce the number of bots on the site, an issue Musk has raised repeatedly over the past year.
While Musk has presented changes to Twitter's verification system as a way of "treating everyone equally," the move appears to have created confusion and uncertainty among users. The billionaire CEO has now introduced another layer of complexity by replacing Twitter's blue bird logo with doge, the meme representing cryptocurrency dogecoin, which has seen its price surge 20% on Monday.
As Musk continues to push his vision for Twitter, many are left wondering whether his efforts will ultimately serve to enhance or undermine the platform.
i mean, who wouldn't want a slice of heaven on a plate? anyway, it made me think about how some big companies try to "rebrand" themselves but end up being just as confusing as a bunch of different colored traffic lights. like, what's the point of changing your logo if you're still gonna have the same old issues? 
. It's like, if you're gonna make changes, at least try to do them in a way that makes sense for the majority of users, you know? 
... like, instead of focusing on making real positive changes to Twitter, he's just using it as a soapbox to air his grievances. And what's with the doge logo, btw? 
I mean, I know some people love it, but it feels like a gimmick to me 
.
... and it seems like Musk isn't always thinking about how his actions might affect others. Maybe he should take a step back and think about what he's doing before he posts again 
Interesting how Musk's plan backfired and only targeted one major publication 
. It looks like it was a publicity stunt gone wrong 
. The new label for legacy blue check holders is confusing and might be exploited by scammers 
. I'm wondering if Musk's true intention is to increase engagement on Twitter or just show off his power 
Like, what even is that? Is he really serious about making Twitter look like a cryptocurrency platform now? It's just so extra. And the memes are not funny anymore 
. Can we just get back to normal on Twitter already?
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and confusing for users who don't get what's going on with the new verification labels 
, why single out The New York Times like that? seems kinda petty 
. I mean, i know they didnt pay up for verification and all, but come on Elon, can't you just chill? 
it's just a blue check mark lol. this whole thing is giving me a headache 
. I'm just gonna stick with my trusty old account, thanks! 
. First he wants to change everything, then he changes his mind again and suddenly only one high-profile account is affected... sounds like a big mess to me 
I mean, I know some people love memes and all, but come on! It's Twitter, not dogecoin 
. Can't they just leave the blue bird alone? It was fine for years, no need to change it up now 
.
. One high-profile account gets targeted instead of a blanket purge, and suddenly it's all about paid verification? It reeks of a PR stunt 
. The real question is what's Musk trying to hide? Is he just trying to silence some prominent critic or control the narrative on his platform? I'm not buying it 
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. And what's really goin' on here? Is it a ploy to get more people to subscribe to Twitter Blue? I'm callin' foul 
anyone else think musk needs to chill out and focus on making twitter a better place for all users instead of being salty at his critics 
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. Anyway, back to The New York Times - it's not like they're being malicious or anything, just choosing not to pay for verification is not a big deal 
?