New York Times says it won’t pay for Twitter verified check mark

The New York Times has lost its verified badge on Twitter as it refuses to pay the monthly fee to obtain the verified check mark status. This comes as a result of a new Twitter policy that only offers verified check marks through a paid subscription. Companies will have to pay $1,000 per month to obtain a gold check mark, while individuals can obtain blue checks for a starting price of $7 in the United States.

The spokesperson for The New York Times stated that the company will not pay for the Twitter blue verification for its reporters’ personal accounts, except for rare cases where this status is essential for reporting purposes. The newspaper also clarified that it will not pay for reporters’ Twitter Accounts to have the blue verification. Politico has also decided not to pay for its staff’s Twitter blue verifications.

According to Axios, The White House will also not pay to keep its staff profiles officially verified on Twitter. The social media company announced that several accounts will lose their check marks as Twitter begins winding down its legacy verified program.

Twitter did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

Reporting by Urvi Dugar and Lavanya Ahire in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Bill Berkrot