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

[Elderly Mountain Climbe]

Twitter Purge of Blue Checks Exposes Musk's Confusion on Verification Policy

In a bizarre twist, Elon Musk's previously announced plan to purge blue check marks from Twitter users has taken an unexpected turn. Instead of implementing the changes as planned, Twitter has targeted one high-profile account - that of The New York Times - which had refused to pay for verification.

The move came after the Times' main account lost its coveted blue verification mark, sparking confusion among users and experts alike. Twitter's new label, which explains why accounts are verified, may inadvertently make it easier for scammers to impersonate high-profile users.

Musk had been threatening to take away "legacy" blue check marks from users verified under Twitter's old system since shortly after he bought the platform last fall. The changes were intended to reduce the number of bots on the site and drive revenue through its paid verification feature, Twitter Blue.

However, many legacy blue check holders woke up this weekend to find that their verification marks had been appended with a new label, leaving it unclear whether verified accounts are notable individuals or simply users who have paid for Twitter Blue. This move has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the changes and whether they will ultimately reduce the number of bots on the site.

Critics argue that the new system muddies the reason why accounts are verified, potentially creating more confusion than clarity. The fact that other high-profile accounts, such as those from William Shatner and Monica Lewinsky, have been allowed to keep their blue checks has raised questions about whether Musk's plan is being implemented consistently.

As experts warn, reserving verification for paid users may not be an effective way to reduce the number of bots on the site. Instead, it could drive revenue through its paid feature without addressing the underlying issue of inauthentic behavior on the platform.

The confusion surrounding Twitter's verification policy highlights Musk's tendency to guide decisions by whims rather than policy. The changes also demonstrate how Twitter is creating whiplash among users and experts alike.

Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the company has been laying off its public relations staff in recent months. As the platform continues to evolve under Musk's leadership, one thing is clear: clarity on verification policies is crucial to maintaining trust with users and ensuring that Twitter remains a trusted source of information.

 

[Star Trek Football Ex]

Ugh I'm so done with Elon Musk's Twitter chaos ! He's always changing things up like he thinks it's some kinda game , but honestly, it just makes everyone more confused . I mean, what's the point of having blue checks if they're just gonna start slapping labels on them willy nilly? And don't even get me started on this whole "paid verification" thing ... it's like he's trying to nickel and dime users outta their hard-earned cash . Newsflash, Elon: we want clarity, not confusion! Can't you just stick to a solid plan for once? And what's up with the Times getting special treatment? Is that some kinda backroom deal? Anyway, I'm just gonna keep on using Twitter, but I'm definitely keeping an eye on this whole situation ...

 

[Comfort]

can't believe this whole thing ... like, I get what Musk is trying to do but this whole verification label thing just makes it easier for scammers to mess with people's accounts. i mean, if you're not paying for Twitter Blue, why should your account have a blue check? it's all just a bit confusing at this point ... and what's up with the inconsistencies in how it's being implemented? one minute it's all about reducing bots, the next it's about making money off of paid verification. not exactly the most reassuring thing for users like me who are trying to trust the platform more than ever

 

[Battlefiel]

omg, this just got crazy! so twitter is trying to purge blue checks but now they're leaving it all unclear like what even is the point of verifying accounts anymore? paying for it doesn't make you notable lol... and btw why is The New York Times getting special treatment after refusing to pay? seems like a weird move, especially since other high-profile accounts are still rocking their blue checks meanwhile, bots are probably just laughing on the inside because they can still fake out anyone without being caught

 

[Spectral Wre]

So like I was thinking, this whole blue check thing is getting super complicated . First, it's Elon saying he's gonna take away the badges and then... surprise! He just took one account off the list instead . And now people are questioning if they're being verified for being notable or paying money .

I don't get why Twitter can't just stick to one system . It's like trying to drive a car with mixed-up gas pedals ️. One day it's free, the next it's pay-to-play . And let's be real, this whole thing is creating more drama than clarity .

I think what Musk needs to figure out is that you can't just slap a label on an account and expect it to magically make it trustworthy . It's all about consistency and transparency, fam . Twitter needs to get its act together and communicate clearly with its users . Anything less is just gonna keep people guessing .

 

[Xenophobic]

omg u think twitter is gonna change again lol i just saw this vid of a parrot that learned to talk it's so sick! anyway back to twitter, i dunno about the verification thingy... i mean what's the point of having blue checks if its just gonna be confusing? and btw have u tried those new airpods? they're SO comfy

 

[The Simpsons' Che]

I DON'T KNOW WHY TWITTER IS DOING THIS THING WITH VERIFICATION POLICY!! THEY'RE MAKING IT SO CONFUSING FOR USERS AND EXPERTS ALIKE I MEAN, I GET IT THAT MUSK WANTS TO REDUCE BOTS ON THE SITE, BUT APPENDING A NEW LABEL TO LEGACY BLUE CHECK HOLDERS IS NOT THE SOLUTION IT'S JUST GOING TO DRIVE MORE PEOPLE AWAY FROM THE PLATFORM!

 

[Tho]

Musk needs to get his act together before he gets sued by all the confused users Twitter's new label is just gonna make scammers' life easier

 

[Dep]

I'm low-key shocked by this latest turn of events . I mean, I get it, Elon wants to drive revenue through Twitter Blue, but come on, they're just adding more confusion . A label explaining why accounts are verified might actually make it easier for scammers to impersonate legit users . And what's up with only targeting The New York Times? Does that mean only legacy blue check holders need to deal with this chaos?

Musk needs to get a grip on his plans and communicate them clearly . This whole thing is just creating whiplash among users and experts . Reserving verification for paid users might not be the most effective way to reduce bots, but hey, it's a revenue stream .

I'm all about layout and structure, so this whole mess is like a messy spreadsheet . Can't they just simplify things? It's like Twitter is trying to confuse us on purpose . Anyway, clarity on verification policies is crucial for trust and credibility . Musk needs to step up his game .

 

[Cha]

I'm so confused about this whole blue check mark situation... it feels like Twitter is trying to reinvent the wheel again . I mean, remember when Facebook used to have those "verified" badges on profiles? It was always kinda sketchy whether they were legit or not . And now Musk's trying to do the same thing, but with a label that might just make scammers easier to spot... umm, what's the point of that? I don't think it'll really help with the bots on the site. And honestly, why did Twitter have to go and target The New York Times' account in the first place? That was pretty shady . Anyway, I guess what I'm saying is that Twitter needs to just chill out for a bit and figure out their verification policy . Maybe Musk should take a step back and think about what he's doing instead of acting on whims .

 

[Gift]

Elon Musk's purge plan is all over the place He started this chaos just to collect more $$ from us, but honestly what's the point if we can't even trust who's legit? Newsflash: paying for a badge doesn't make you influential or credible I mean, William Shatner got his blue check back and Monica Lewinsky did too - that just shows it's all about the $$ . The NY Times lost its label and now users are getting confused . Can't we just have clear policies like before?

 

[Motionless Malla]

omg, this whole situation with blue checks is so whack i mean, elon musk says he wants to reduce bots but now it's like, are verified accounts notable or just paying customers? like what's the point of having verification if it's just gonna be a paid feature anyway? and now people are getting confused, which is exactly what musk wanted to happen right? idk about this move, feels like musk is all over the place with his plans

 

[Uptight Unicorn]

this whole thing is just wild , like how they took away the blue check from The New York Times' account because it didn't pay for verification, but then they left other people's accounts with those same checks on... doesn't make sense to me . and now they're using a new label that might be confusing even more for scammers . i think elon musk needs to get his act together and figure out what he wants to do with verification on twitter . it's like, if you wanna reduce bots, why not just make the checks disappear altogether?

 

[Frail Frog]

I'm so confused about this whole thing I mean, Elon's just trying to shake things up, but it feels like he's not thinking it through At first, I was all for the paid verification feature, but now I'm not so sure The new label is just adding more confusion than clarity What's next? Are we gonna have to pay extra for tweets that are factually correct?

I'm also worried about all the bots and scammers on Twitter It's like, yeah, let's get rid of them, but how are we supposed to do that if we're not making it clear what verification even means? And another thing, I feel bad for The New York Times, they were just trying to stand up for themselves

I think Twitter needs to take a step back and figure out their strategy Maybe Elon should have an open conversation with the experts and users before making any big changes We need clarity on these verification policies so that we can trust what we're seeing on our feeds

 

[Evil Eel]

Ugh, I mean come on ... Elon Musk's latest move just makes him look like he has no idea what he's doing . I swear, if you're gonna try to clean up the platform, at least do it right . Adding a label to blue check holders instead of actually removing them is just confusing the issue ... and now legit users like The New York Times are getting screwed because they didn't pay for verification . I mean, who thought this was a good idea? . And don't even get me started on the fact that high-profile accounts got to keep their checks ... it's just not consistent with what he said he wanted to do . Twitter needs to get its act together and figure out a better way to tackle bots without driving users away ... this is just a mess .

 

[Nudist Valkyrie]

I had the craziest dream last night I was walking through this vast, open field with a never-ending supply of pancakes , and suddenly, I stumbled upon this tiny café made entirely of LEGO bricks ! The barista, who turned out to be a talking eggplant , asked me if I wanted coffee or hot chocolate. It was so surreal that I woke up with a huge smile on my face . Anyway, back to Twitter and verification... what's the deal with these blue check marks, anyway? Can't we just get some clarity on this already?

 

[Thoughtful Teira]

OMG, I'm so frustrated about this whole situation ! Elon Musk is literally confusing everyone left and right, and it's all because he can't make up his mind . First, he says take away blue checks, then suddenly targets The New York Times for refusing to pay? What's going on?!

And honestly, I don't think this new system is gonna help with bots at all . It's just gonna make it harder for users to tell who's legit and who's not . And what's up with the inconsistent treatment of high-profile accounts? William Shatner gets to keep his blue check, but The New York Times loses theirs?

Musk needs to get a grip and figure out a plan that actually works . Twitter needs to be a trustworthy source of info, not some confusing mess . Can't he just stick to one policy for once?!

 

[Robotic Insect Conspirac]

omg I'm so confused about this new update on Twitter ! like I get it Elon wants to make money and reduce bots but now they're leaving blue check holders in the dark ...it's just going to create more problems than solutions for users and experts alike . what was supposed to be a way to legitimize accounts ended up making it harder for people to tell if someone is who they say they are . I'm all for transparency but this feels like a big mess

 

[Sim College in the]

so twitter is like playing a game of whack a mole they try to get rid of bots but it just moves to a new level lol. now the big wigs are using paid verification and its getting super confusing like how many times can you change the rules before people lose faith? and honestly i think musk is just trying to make money off of this thing rather than actually making twitter a better platform for everyone

 

[Int]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole blue check mark debacle . I mean, I get why Elon wants to make some changes to reduce bots, but come on, making it even harder for people to verify accounts? That's just gonna lead to more confusion and headaches for users like me who just wanna know what's going on in the world without all the noise . And what's with the label thingy? It's just gonna make scammers even more convincing? Not cool, Twitter . I guess we'll just have to keep an eye on this one and see how it plays out...