Twitter has started removing verification badges from accounts which already had a blue tick, after announcing they would be part of a paid subscription from 1 April. As well as not paying the subscription fee, the New York Times said it would also not pay for the verification of its journalists' Twitter accounts, apart from in "rare instances where this status would be essential for reporting purposes", a spokesperson said. Many news organisations including CNN, the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post - companies which also said they will not pay for Twitter verification - now have gold ticks