New Twitter verification system poses credibility concerns

ROCHESTER, N.Y. Yesterday many of us saw that blue check mark disappear from our Twitter account, and the reaction from a lot of us was ‘big deal.’

But it could be big in emergencies when governments tweet vital information. News10NBC’s Berkeley Brean started to look into this after a dispute between two Twitter accounts claiming to be the verified account for New York City.

There are two accounts with the same logo claiming to be the authentic Twitter account for the city. One of them is suspended. But how do we know if the government account tweeting information is legitimate? Look for the gray check mark. The gray check marks are free and verify the account.

Monroe County’s page does not have a gray check mark. The County Office of Emergency Management doesn’t have it either. Neither does Webster Schroeder High School or Gates Chili school district nor 18 other high school and school district accounts in Monroe County that we checked.

Think about the vital information Hilton school shared on Twitter after the bomb scares. News10NBC alerted the county about this. About an hour ago, the county spokesman said they’re looking at their options, whether they pay for the blue check mark like the sheriff’s Twitter has or go to the gray one.