Twitter has dropped “state-affiliated” and “government-funded” labels from media accounts after widespread complaints, according to a review Friday of many high-profile pages.
As Elon Musk’s platform rolls out a series of changes, it has also reportedly told businesses they must pay for blue verification ticks or “verified organization” checkmarks if they want to advertise on Twitter.
Getting advertisers to pay subscriptions is part of a strategy “to elevate the quality of the content on Twitter and enhance your experience,” read the message to advertisers.
Musk’s long-promised move to strip free blue ticks from many Twitter users swung into action on Thursday.
Blue ticks were once a coveted symbol of authenticity, but can now be bought for $8 a month.
“(Musk) has absolutely made the blue tick a badge of shame,” read a tweet from the account of @vanbadham. “I see anyone with one and my judgement is instant and damning.”
Users complain that hate speech and misinformation have proliferated, and accounts with extreme views are gaining traction due to less content moderation.
– Chaotic takeover –
Twitter, acquired by the mercurial billionaire last year, had long labeled accounts linked to state media or government officials, especially from China and Russia.
But recently the labels were applied to news organizations that received public funding but were not controlled by any governments.
National Public Radio in the United States stopped using Twitter, and Canada’s CBC followed suit.
They included the accounts of NPR, China’s official Xinhua news agency, RT from Russia and CBC.
Musk has expressed disdain for news media for years and recently installed an automatic response of a poop emoji to emailed inquiries from journalists.
News organizations have struggled to wean themselves from Twitter, which remains a key communication exchange for celebrities, politicians and pundits.
Only a tiny fraction of those who had free, verified accounts have switched to paying subscriptions, a programmer who tracks the platform tweeted on Friday.
gc/bgs
AFP
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