First modification:
The social network removed “state-affiliated media” and “government-funded media” or “the public” ads that appeared under the accounts of large Western public media and agencies of authoritarian regimes.
In the last hours, Twitter has experienced one of its biggest changes. On April 20, personalities and journalists who chose not to pay for a verified account lost their little blue tag. From the Pope to the ordinary journalist, including great athletes and singers, the “blue check” disappeared.
However, the announced change is not the only thing that looks different this Friday in Elon Musk’s company. Twitter removed the labels “state-affiliated media”, “government-funded media”, “public-funded media”, applied until now to numerous media accounts.
Western media accounts like R.F.I., BBC either Deutsche Welle they saw the sign that identified them as a taxpayer-funded outlet disappear. This poster had already changed in recent days, in a controversy that had also involved Radio Television in Spain or Public Radio in the United States (npr), which together with radio canada they had decided to stop using Twitter.
Meanwhile, media accounts dependent on authoritarian regimes such as China’s Xinhua and Russia’s RT lose their “state-affiliated media” notice, a warning that had existed since before Musk took over Twitter.
This label has long been attached to the slopes linked to state media or government officials, especially from China and Russia.
The social network maintained that this rule applied to entities that “are the official voice of a State abroad.”
My Twitter account says I’ve subscribed to Twitter Blue. I haven’t.
My Twitter account says I’ve given a phone number. I haven’t.— Stephen King (@StephenKing) April 20, 2023
In some cases, Musk’s new policy is unclear. Some famous users who have decided that they would not pay continue with their blue verification. This is the case of the writer Stephen King, who reacted by saying that he not only did not pay for the certification of the account, but also that he had not given his phone number, as Twitter maintains.
