After declaring that it would not pay to remain verified, The New York Times has lost its blue tick on Twitter.
Twitter has begun eliminating check identifications from accounts which previously had a blue tick, subsequent to declaring they would be essential for a paid membership from 1 April.
The tick would not be paid for, according to the New York Times and a number of other organizations as well as famous people.
Elon Musk hurled a barrage of insults at the newspaper as a result.
On Twitter, Mr. Musk, the owner, wrote, “The real tragedy of @NYTimes is that their propaganda isn’t even interesting.”
Additionally, their feed resembles diarrhea on Twitter.
He added, “It’s impossible to read.”
has not provided an official response to Mr. Musk’s remarks, and neither has the New York Times.
Under new standards, blue ticks which once showed official, confirmed accounts, will begin to be eliminated from accounts which don’t pay for it.
Associations looking for check identifications rather need to pay a month to month charge of $1,000 (£810) to get a gold confirmation tick, while individual records should pay $8 (£6.40) a month for a blue one.
The membership administration will produce income for Twitter. However, there are concerns that it will be difficult to distinguish genuine accounts from imposters without the verification process.
A spokesperson stated that the New York Times would not pay the subscription fee and would also not pay for the verification of its journalists’ Twitter accounts, with the exception of “rare instances where this status would be essential for reporting purposes.”
Following the declaration, the paper, which has very nearly 55 million Twitter devotees, lost its confirmation identification.
But it’s not clear if all businesses need to sign up for the subscription service to stay verified.
10,000 of the most-followed associations on, will be absolved from the guidelines, the New York Times reports.
Twitter has introduced three distinct colored verification badges since December: gold ticks are utilized for business associations, dim ticks are for government-partnered accounts or multilateral associations, and blue ticks are utilized for individual records.
Gold ticks now appear on a number of news outlets, including CNN, the Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post—all of which have stated that they will not pay for Twitter verification.
Other New York Times accounts, for example, New York Times Expressions and New York Times Travel, likewise have the gold identification.
The blue ticks appear to be being eradicated gradually. According to The Washington Post, which cites former employees of the company, this could be due to the fact that the process is largely performed by hand.
Even though LeBron James, an American basketball great, stated that he would not be paying for Twitter verification, celebrities still have a blue tick. Ice-T, a rapper from the United States, has also criticized the new fee-paying system.
Twitter’s verification system
verification system has been a topic of controversy for several years, with many users questioning the social media platform’s decision-making process. Recently, this debate has resurfaced as several New York Times journalists had their verification badges, or “blue ticks,” removed from their Twitter accounts. This incident occurred after Tesla CEO Elon Musk criticized the newspaper’s coverage of his company, leading many to question whether Twitter’s verification system is biased and whether it should be used as a measure of a user’s credibility.
verification system was initially introduced in 2009 to help users identify the authenticity of high-profile accounts. The blue tick symbol was intended to verify the identity of public figures, celebrities, and journalists, preventing fake accounts from impersonating them. However, over the years, the verification process has been criticized for being opaque and arbitrary. Users have reported difficulties in obtaining a blue tick, and many have accused Twitter of showing favoritism towards certain users or groups.
The recent incident involving the New York Times journalists has only added fuel to this ongoing debate. It all began when Elon Musk took to Twitter to criticize the newspaper’s coverage of Tesla. Musk claimed that the New York Times had “failed to mention several critical points” in its reporting on Tesla’s autopilot technology. He then went on to suggest that the newspaper’s journalists had a bias against electric cars and that the company’s negative coverage was part of a broader campaign to undermine Tesla’s success.
Several New York Times journalists responded to Musk’s tweets, defending their reporting and accusing him of spreading misinformation. However, shortly after this exchange, many of the journalists discovered that their Twitter verification badges had been removed. The incident sparked widespread outrage, with many accusing Twitter of bowing to pressure from Musk and his supporters.
Twitter responded to the controversy, stating that the verification system was intended to authenticate the identity of a user rather than endorse their content. In a statement to the media, a Twitter spokesperson said that the company had “inadvertently” removed the verification badges from the New York Times journalists’ accounts but that they had been restored shortly afterward. The spokesperson also denied that the incident had been a result of external pressure or interference.
Despite Twitter’s explanation, the incident has raised important questions about the social media platform’s verification system. Many users have pointed out that while Twitter claims that the blue tick is intended to verify identity, it is often used as a measure of a user’s credibility. In other words, users who are verified are often seen as more trustworthy or reliable than those who are not. This has led to accusations that Twitter’s verification system is inherently biased and that it can be used to silence or discredit certain voices.
The incident has also highlighted the ongoing tension between journalists and tech companies. For years, journalists have criticized social media platforms for their role in spreading misinformation and undermining the credibility of traditional media outlets. Tech companies, on the other hand, have accused journalists of being biased and of unfairly targeting them. The recent incident involving the New York Times and Elon Musk is just one example of this ongoing conflict.
conclusion
In conclusion, the recent incident involving Twitter’s verification system and the New York Times journalists has sparked an important debate about the role of social media in shaping public discourse. While Twitter claims that its verification system is intended to authenticate identity, many users see it as a measure of credibility. The incident has also highlighted the ongoing tension between journalists and tech companies and the need for more transparency and accountability in the digital age. Ultimately, it is up to Twitter and other social media platforms to ensure that their systems are fair, transparent, and unbiased, and that they do not contribute to the spread of misinformation or the silencing of dissenting voices.
