Elon Musk’s promise to remove the blue check mark on Twitter from accounts verified with the old system did not come true. According to their statements, only those users who subscribe to Twitter Blue would keep their accounts verified. However, April 1st, the date established for this modification, passed and the verified accounts continued as such, although with a change.
Previously, each blue check mark clarified whether the user paid Twitter Blue or was verified by the previous system. With the modification, the new caption reads, “This account is verified because it is subscribed to Twitter Blue or is a verified account under the old system.” In this way, both options were unified and now it is not possible to know which was the method by which the user obtained the verification.
New York Times, the only user to lose verification and blue check mark
While it is not known exactly if this change is definitive and what will happen to verified accounts, there was one account that lost its check mark. The New York Times stopped having a verified account, before stating that it would not pay for the subscription to keep it.
It seems that Elon Musk personally took it upon himself to lash out at the media, as he was the only one who lost his status. A spokesperson for the newspaper reiterated to CNN that they would not pay the subscription, so all indications are that they would not regain their status.
This is in addition to Elon Musk’s statements against the media, as he claimed that its coverage is boring. However, there was no formal statement from Twitter about what happened to the New York Times verification.
Twitter’s leader sees the blue check mark as a desirable status symbol and hence the decision to monetize them. The truth is that only about 2% of users have decided to subscribe to Twiter Blue, a figure that falls short of expectations. Many consider that the original purpose of verification has been lost, as it was used to ensure the credibility and authenticity of the user.
Uncertainty on Twitter and complaints about the new blue check mark policy
The threat of removing the check mark for those users who got it under the previous system did not work to increase subscription to Twitter Blue. However, the decision to change the legend on verified users overrides the value of the blue check mark, as it is now unknown exactly why it was obtained. According to experts, these modifications detract from the credibility of the social network. Renowned users such as William Shatner and Monica Lewinsky are opposed to paying a subscription to avoid identity theft.
It is not known exactly what will happen with Twitter verifications and the blue check mark, and if the ones obtained with the old system will finally be eliminated. According to Musk’s latest statements, this decision is a way to treat everyone equally, as there should be no different standard for celebrities.
