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

Elon Musk's Twitter Purge: A Single Account Lost Blue Check, But Confusion Remains

In a surprise move, Elon Musk's plan to purge blue check marks from verified Twitter accounts took an unexpected turn. Instead of targeting all legacy users, the billionaire CEO singled out one high-profile account - The New York Times - for removal. This decision has left many wondering why the Times' main account lost its coveted blue verification mark, while other high-profile accounts remained unaffected.

Musk's initial plan was to remove "legacy" blue checks from verified Twitter accounts, which had been granted under Twitter's old system emphasizing protecting high-profile users at risk of impersonation. To stay verified, users were required to pay $8 per month for Twitter Blue subscription service. However, most legacy blue check holders found that their verification marks remained intact, but were now labeled as "verified because it's subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a legacy verified account."

The Times' main account lost its blue check after Musk responded to an account that often engages with him on social media by tweeting, “Oh ok, we'll take it off then.” This move was followed by a series of tweets lashing out at the Times for what Musk claimed was boring and "propaganda" coverage. The New York Times has reiterated its decision not to pay for verification, with other accounts remaining verified.

This move highlights Twitter's tendency to create confusion and whiplash among users. By targeting a single account, Musk appears to be guiding decisions based on whims rather than policy. The label change could make it easier for scammers to impersonate high-profile users and has raised concerns about the effectiveness of reserving verification for paid users.

Musk has defended changes to Twitter's verification system as a way of "treating everyone equally." He has also stated that paying for verification would drive revenue, which could help him pay off significant debt after buying Twitter for $44 billion. The move has also sparked debate about the impact on users and the potential benefits of charging for verified accounts.

As the dust settles, it remains to be seen how this move will affect Twitter's user base and verification system. One thing is certain - Musk's decisions continue to raise eyebrows, leaving many wondering what's next for the platform he now owns.
 
🤔 Musk's latest move on Twitter has me scratching my head 🤷‍♂️. Losing The New York Times' blue check seems petty 💸. Why not just stick with a label change like they did for most legacy users? 😕 It's all about creating confusion and chaos 🔥, which isn't good for user experience 👀. Musk says he's trying to treat everyone equally 🤝, but it feels like just another one of his ego-driven decisions 💁‍♂️. Can't wait to see what's next 📊
 
I don’t usually comment but I gotta say, this whole blue check purge thing has me scratching my head 🤯... Like, one account loses its verification and everyone else stays on? It just doesn't make sense to me. And yeah, The Times' account getting taken off is pretty wild. I'm not surprised that Musk is all over their case, but still, shouldn't they have some kinda protection or something? I mean, it's not like they're doing anything wrong... 🤷‍♂️ It just feels like Musk is testing the waters to see how people react and what he can get away with 💸. And let's be real, this whole thing is just more drama on Twitter 📺...
 
idk why musk has 2 do this tho 🤔... 1 account gets taken away & its all over twitter news cycle 💬. it just looks like drama 4 the sake of drama, if u ask me 🙄. and what's w/ the label change? isnt that just gonna confuse people even more 😂? or is musk really just trying 2 make sure ppl r paying 4 their blue check marks? either way, its just gonna be a headache 4 twitter users 🤯
 
omg 🤯 this whole thing has me so confused 😕, i mean who loses blue check 💙 just 'cause they're gonna pay $8 a month? 🤑 and why single out one big account like NYT 📰? they don't even have blue check anymore 🤷‍♀️ it's all so weird 🤪 but at the same time i get what Musk is trying to do 🔄 he wants to make money 💸 and if paying for verification helps him pay off debt 💸 then idc, lol 😎
 
I'm low-key confused about Elon Musk's sudden change of heart 🤔💸. One minute it's blue checks for all, and the next it's a single account getting axed without warning 💥👀. The New York Times' situation is just weird - I mean, who expects to lose their blue check because you're "boring" 😴? And what's with the whole "treat everyone equally" thing? 🤷‍♂️ It feels like Musk is making things up as he goes along and it's causing more chaos than clarity 🚨💥. I'm all for innovation, but this verification system overhaul needs a lot more work 🔧💻 #TwitterPurge #VerificationShenanigans #MuskTheMan
 
🤔 I think this is a major mess 🚮. So, one account gets blue check taken away while others stay? 🤷‍♂️ What's the logic behind that? And btw, why was The New York Times' main account even targeted in the first place? 💼 Was it just for the sake of drama? 📺 I don't get it.

And what about all those legacy users who were expecting to keep their blue checks? 😕 Now they're stuck with some lame label that says "verified because it's subscribed to Twitter Blue" 🤦‍♂️ That's not equal treatment at all, bro 👊. And let's not forget, this whole thing is just another way for Elon Musk to make more cash 💸 off us poor users.

Here's a simple Venn diagram to illustrate the problem:

**Circle 1: Verified Users**
🔗 | 💼
**+**: Twitter Blue subscribers (pay $8/month)
**→** Legacy verified accounts

**Circle 2: Confused Users**
😕 | 🤔
**+**: People wondering why their blue checks were taken away
**→** Mixed feelings about verification system

Can't we just get some clear rules and stick to them? 😩
 
I don’t usually comment but... I think Elon Musk is playing with fire here 🚨. Targeting a single account like The New York Times just creates more confusion and whiplash among users. It's not about treating everyone equally, it feels like he's just testing the waters to see how people react 🤔. And let's be real, if anyone can impersonate high-profile users with this new labeling system, it's scammers who are gonna exploit it 🙄. The fact that other accounts remained verified after Musk's tweets about them is weird, it feels like he's playing favorites 🤑. I don't think charging for verification will help him pay off debt, it'll just drive away users who can't afford it 💸. This whole thing has me scratching my head, hoping Twitter gets its act together soon 🤷‍♂️.
 
🤔 This whole situation is just a mess. I mean, come on, one account loses its blue check because Elon Musk gets salty with them? It's like, if you're gonna change the rules, own it and stick to 'em. But no, instead he's all over the place, making exceptions for who-knows-what reason. And now users are just confused, unsure what's up or down. It's like he's trying to game the system, rather than actually fixing anything. 💸
 
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