'State-affiliated' designations have been removed from Twitter

Twitter has removed'state-affiliated' and 'government-funded' labels from major media accounts as part of an unannounced update. This follows a string of spats between Twitter and several news organizations over the designations. CEO Elon Musk explained that Twitter was only "trying to be accurate" and even changed some of the labels, switching the BBC's designation from "government-funded" to "publicly-funded," while CBC's tag was reworded as "69% government-funded." The tag was also removed from other media outlets, including Russia's RT and Sputnik, and China's Global Times and Xinhua. Before Musk's $44 billion takeover of Twitter last year, the'state-affiliated media' tag had primarily been reserved for non-Western outlets. The latest update to the platform has also seen the long-anticipated removal of all legacy blue check marks that previously identified the verified accounts of celebrities, journalists, and prominent politicians. Those wishing to have the icon next to their name must now pay an $8-per-month Twitter Blue subscription