Elon Musk’s plans for Twitter will make things harder for journalists

Blue ticks are currently important in that they clearly distinguish legitimate publishers from false accounts, writes Harriet Williamson

Musk’s plans currently include no provisions to prevent fake accounts that impersonate journalists and public figures being verified and receiving the tick (Reuters)

Since Elon Musk completed his $44bn purchase of Twitter last month, the news of shake-ups regarding the social media platform have come thick and fast.

The world’s richest person fired Twitter’s entire human rights team last week, and layoffs at the company are expected to amount to roughly 50 per cent of staff. Around 3,700 Twitter employees worldwide have already been let go, and Musk has defended his decision, saying he “had no choice”.

The social network’s founder, Jack Dorsey, apologised in a series of tweets on Sunday, writing: “I realise many are angry with me. I own the responsibility for why everyone is in this situation: I grew the company size too quickly. I apologise for that.”