The New York Times account with 55 million followers on Twitter lost its verification due to refusal to pay $1000

The New York Times has become the first major publication to refuse to pay Twitter to verify its account. The account has 55 million followers.

Here's What We Know

Ordinary users can verify their account after purchasing an $8 a month subscription to Twitter Blue. A blue icon will then appear next to the account name. The cost for businesses is $1,000 + $50 for each linked account and they get a yellow badge.

Once a Twitter Blue subscription has been paid for, the account is given priority in search results and the maximum number of characters per post is increased to 4,000. In addition, from 15 April, the "For You" tab will only display entries from verified accounts.

The New York Times also says it will not reimburse its employees for the cost of a Twitter Blue subscription. Bloomberg News will do the same. CNN and the LA Times have also indicated they will not pay for subscriptions.

Elon Musk called The New York Times' decision "hypocritical" because the publication offers its readers their own subscriptions. Also the head of Twitter compared newsfeed of The New York Times with diarrhoea and suggested to publish only the most important materials.

Source: The New York Times