Friday morning began especially chaotic for Twitter users, after the massive removal of blue ticks on the accounts of celebrities, journalists and government agencies, which added to the level of mistrust, instability and confusion that had arisen in recent months in this social network by the current CEO Elon. musk.
This change in policy comes with the entry of the new owner, who has reported his determination to use all necessary means to make this social network more profitable. In this case, trying to force users to pay for account verification services that were previously free.
Under the original “blue check” system, Twitter had about 400,000 verified users, and the checks meant that Twitter had proven that the account holders were who they said they were.
Now, with the new Twitter Blue system, individual users have to pay about eight dollars a month for the blue brand, while businesses and organizations are charged more than a thousand dollars a month. This change radically changed the meaning of account verification, as well as its independence and credibility.
The new paid system is vulnerable to a number of risks, including imitation of government accounts, the removal of labels previously used to identify Chinese and Russian propaganda, and the company’s rush to individually re-verify some VIPs such as Pope Francis.. This adds to the failure to get new people to sign up. Paid service, which is a goal that the changes must promote.
According to CNN, a large group of companies and media organizations have lost the gold verification badges that Musk’s team developed months ago as an alternative to traditional brand verification, reflecting the clear refusal of these organizations to pay for these badges. $1,000 per month.
Several prominent Twitter users, including LeBron James, William Shatner and Stephen King, also refused to pay to keep their verification badges, prompting Musk to intervene personally. Seemingly sensing the problems that could arise if these users are not verified, Musk said Thursday that he will pay out of his own pocket to ensure James, Shatner and King’s files continue to be verified, the TV station explains.
The Guardian also reported that several users and celebrities lost their verifications on Thursday, including Beyoncé, Pope Francis and Oprah Winfrey. Donald Trump – who has not tweeted since being allowed back on the platform after being banned – has also not been verified.
Existing verifications include a “pop-up” message stating that the account “has been verified because account holders have signed up for ‘Twitter Blue’ and their phone number has been verified.” But the situation is subject to criticism, because verifying a phone number only means that the user has that number and has proven they can access it, but it does not confirm the person’s identity, which raises concerns about the authenticity of the accounts.
Many users are taking advantage of the changes and vulnerabilities they point to to change profile pictures and names, in an effort to pass on well-known personalities, from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to the late Arizona Senator John McCain, who introduces “The Sentinel.” Other social media users posted fake tweets posing as legitimate news accounts to spread misinformation and even mock Musk.
The ease with which users can impersonate legitimate organizations and figures has raised concerns that Twitter is losing its character as a convenient platform for obtaining accurate, up-to-date information from trusted sources, including in emergency situations.
Fake accounts claiming to represent Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the Chicago Department of Transportation and the Illinois Department of Transportation began exchanging messages on Friday, falsely claiming that the city’s Lake Shore Road — a major thoroughfare — will be closed to private traffic starting next month,” Watchman”.
No real accounts from Lightfoot and transit agencies were flagged on Friday, and Lightfoot’s office said it was aware of the fake accounts and was “working with Twitter to resolve the issue.” At least one account was suspended on Friday.
Other affected organizations said they expect more clarity from those in charge of Twitter, which has cut its staff dramatically since Elon Musk bought the company for $44 billion last year. Many critics mention that there is “dirty” and “incompetent” management.
Meanwhile, Twitter continues to roll out its program of changes to its operations, requiring advertisers to opt-in to Twitter Blue in order to continue running ads, at a time when revenue for large Twitter advertisers has shrunk by 65%.
Independent investigators noted that only 28 new accounts signed up for Twitter Blue after the changes this week, while another report put the number closer to 400 new accounts. A Berlin-based social network tracking software development company has revealed that less than 5% of verified accounts have paid to join Twitter Blue, adds The Guardian.
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