(MENAFN) The New York Times, one of the most prominent news organizations, has had its verification check mark removed from its main Twitter account, a move that has caused quite a stir in the social media world. The removal of the blue check marks has been a concern for many high-profile Twitter users, as it has helped to verify their identity and prevent impostors from impersonating them on the platform.

Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, had set a deadline for verified users to buy a premium Twitter subscription, or risk losing their check marks. The Times, however, made it clear in a story on Thursday that it would not pay Twitter for verification of its institutional accounts.

Early on Sunday, Musk tweeted that The Times' check mark would be removed, which caused controversy among journalists and Twitter users alike. Later, he went on to post disparaging remarks about the newspaper, which has been known to report aggressively on Twitter and on flaws with partially automated driving systems at Tesla, the electric car company that he runs.

Despite The Times' main account losing its verification check mark, other accounts affiliated with the news organization, such as its business news and opinion pages, still had either blue or gold check marks on Sunday. Multiple reporters for The New York Times also retained their verification statuses. It remains to be seen how this move by Twitter will affect the social media landscape and how it will change the way verified users interact with the platform.

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