Twitter’s new subscription-based system for verification badges has caused quite a stir, with several organisations and individuals, including The New York Times, refusing to pay for the blue tick. This move has resulted in the newspaper losing its blue tick on Twitter. The social media giant has begun removing verification badges from accounts that did not opt for the new subscription service.
Under the new system, organisations are required to pay a monthly fee of $1,000 to receive a gold verification tick, while individual accounts must pay $8 a month for a blue one. The move has generated revenue for it, but concerns have been raised that without the verification process, it will be difficult to tell genuine accounts from impersonators.
The N.Y. Times, with almost 55 million followers, has refused to pay the subscription fee and also announced that it would not pay for the verification of its journalists’ accounts, except in “rare instances where this status would be essential for reporting purposes”. Following this announcement, the newspaper lost its verification badge.
Elon Musk, who owns Twitter, has launched a volley of insults at The N.Y Times, calling it “propaganda” and saying that their feed is “unreadable”. However, there has been no official comment from it and The N.Y. Times has not responded to Musk’s comments.
It is unclear whether all organisations must sign up for the subscription service to remain verified. It reports that ten thousand of the most-followed organisations on it will be exempt from the rules, citing an internal Twitter document.
It introduced three different coloured verification badges in December 2021: gold ticks for business organisations, grey ticks for government-affiliated accounts or multilateral organisations, and blue ticks for individual accounts. Many news organisations, including CNN, the Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post, which also said they will not pay for verification, now have gold ticks.
Other N.Y. Times accounts, such as N.Y. Times Arts and Travel, also have the gold badge. The removal of the blue ticks seems to be happening gradually because it is a largely manual process, according to The Washington Post, citing former employees of the company.
Celebrities tweet on twitter
Celebrities like American basketball great LeBron James, who said he would not be paying for its verification, still have a blue tick. The same is true of US rapper Ice-T, who has also criticised the new fee-paying system.
The move by it to introduce a subscription-based verification system has drawn criticism from several quarters. Many have raised concerns about the impact on small businesses and individuals who cannot afford to pay for the blue tick. They argue that the verification badge is important for establishing credibility and authenticity on the platform.
Others have questioned the effectiveness of the verification system, pointing out that it is relatively easy to create fake accounts with blue ticks. They argue that Twitter should focus on improving its account security measures instead of introducing a subscription-based verification system.
Twitter’s new subscription-based system for verification badges has generated controversy and criticism, with several organisations and individuals, including The N.Y. Times, refusing to pay for the blue tick. While the move has generated revenue for Twitter, concerns have been raised about its impact on small businesses and individuals. The effectiveness of the verification system has also been questioned, with many arguing that Twitter should focus on improving its account security measures.
Twitter’s new paid subscription service for verification badges has sparked controversy and backlash from several individuals and organizations, including The N.Y. Times. The newspaper, which has a significant Twitter following, has refused to pay for the verification of its accounts, including its journalists’ accounts, unless it is essential for reporting purposes. As a result, the newspaper has lost its blue tick verification badge. While the subscription service will generate revenue for Twitter, concerns have been raised about the difficulty of distinguishing genuine accounts from impersonators without the verification process.
