Elon Musk Removes New York Times Twitter Checkmark as Publication Won’t Pay for Verification

Twitter CEO Elon Musk has removed the New York Times verification checkmark in the social media platform as part of its efforts to crack down on users avoiding payments for "Twitter Blue."

Twitter Blue is an opt-in paid monthly subscription that adds a blue checkmark to users' accounts and offers early access to new features, like "Edit Tweet."

According to Fox News, Musk recently announced that the social media company would set a deadline of April 1 for verified users to apply and keep their status.

Twitter officials said the verification status would be removed for those refusing to pay for the subscription to Twitter Blue.

Musk specifically mentioned the New York Times as among those who will lose its verified status if they refuse to pay for the Twitter Blue subscription. The media outlet then lost its verified checkmark on Sunday.

Musk then tweeted that "the real tragedy of @NYTimes is that their propaganda isn't even interesting."

New York Times Twitter

A spokesperson for the newspaper released a statement hours after it lost its verification check mark, saying it will not be paying a monthly fee to get verification status on Twitter, Reuters reported.

Organizations must pay $1,000 for a monthly subscription and $8 for individuals in the United States to get a blue check mark and verified status.

The New York Times spokesperson noted that they would not be reimbursing reporters for Twitter Blue in their personal accounts except when needed for the purpose of reporting.

Aside from the New York Times, Politico also will not offer to pay for its staff's Twitter Blue subscriptions. Avios previously reported that the White House also would not pay to have its staff's official Twitter profiles continue to be verified.

Other New York Times' affiliated accounts, such as New York Times Opinion, NYT Politics, NYT Climate, and New York Times World, still have their checkmarks as of Sunday.

Twitter Under Elon Musk

Elon Musk said in February that Twitter is now "trending to breakeven" despite its near bankruptcy. He also acknowledged that the social media company has its challenges.

Musk acquired the tech company for $44 billion in late 2022, starting with a "rocky takeover," which included layoffs and loss of certain employee benefits.

CNBC News reported that Twitter's daily revenue was down 40% year-over-year in January 2023, with hundreds of the social media company's top advertisers postponed or overall pulled back on their spending.

Musk also faced several legal problems for his failure to pay partners, vendors, and former employees since his takeover.

The landlord of Twitter's San Francisco headquarters sued the company after it reportedly failed to pay an estimate of $6.8 million in rent covering the months of December and January.

Aside from lawsuits filed by vendors and former employees, Twitter auctioned its kitchen supplies and office equipment in January, with reports that some offices were turned into living quarters.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Twitter removes verification from The New York Times' main account - From CBS New York