Twitter will ‘do lots of dumb things’ – Musk

The platform’s new CEO removed the ‘official’ checkmark within hours of introducing it

Elon Musk said that his overhaul of Twitter would involve “lots of dumb things,” after he “killed” a feature where high-profile accounts would receive an ‘official’ checkmark distinct from the blue tick for paid subscribers.

The gray checkmarks showed up on some accounts on Wednesday, a day after Twitter product executive Esther Crawford announced that these marks would be used to distinguish major public accounts – like those belonging to “commercial companies, business partners, major media outlets … and some public figures” – from paid subscribers, who receive the blue check previously reserved for major names.

Two hours after tech influencer Marques Brownlee noticed his gray check, he posted an update stating “it’s now gone.”

Update: It's now gone https://t.co/5C0t7txi14

— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) November 9, 2022

Musk commented on Brownlee’s post, confirming that he had “just killed it,” and that the blue check would remain “the great leveler.”

“Please note that Twitter will do lots of dumb things in coming months,” Musk tweeted on Wednesday, adding that the company “will keep what works and change what doesn’t.” 

Since purchasing Twitter for $44 billion last month and declaring his intention to serve as the company’s CEO, Musk has made a number of changes to the social media platform. The SpaceX and Tesla billionaire fired 50% of the firm’s staff – focusing primarily on those involved in the controversial content moderation and ‘Trust and Safety’ departments – and rolled out blue checkmarks and extra features for users willing to pay $8 per month.

"There are no sacred cows in product at Twitter anymore,” Crawford commented. “Elon is willing to try lots of things – many will fail, some will succeed. The goal is to find the right mix of successful changes to ensure the long-term health and growth of the business.”