Elon Musk: Twitter owner renames BBC account 'government-funded'.

Twitter has changed the label on the BBC's main account, saying it is “publicly funded” rather than “government-funded media”, after the broadcaster objected.

In an interview with BBC News on Tuesday, the social media giant's owner, Elon Musk, said he would make the change because “we're trying to be accurate.”

On Sunday, the BBC disputed the original description, saying: “The BBC is and always will be independent.

“We are funded by the British public through the license fee.”

Speaking to James Clayton, BBC North America technology correspondent, in San Francisco, Musk said: “I know that the BBC, for example, is not happy about being classified as a state media.”

He said: “If we used the same words that the BBC uses to describe itself, then that should be acceptable… and this seems to pass a reasonable test.” He added: “Actually, I have a lot of respect for the BBC.”

In response, the BBC said it “welcomes any such step.”

Twitter also used the same “government-funded” description for US public broadcaster NPR. Wednesday, The announcer said He will no longer post new content on the social media platform.

The BBC objected to the use of the original description in its main BBC account.

The poster links to a page that identifies government-funded media as outlets where “the government may have varying degrees of government involvement in editorial content.”

The BBC's Royal Charter states that it “shall be independent”, particularly in relation to “editorial and creative decisions, the times and manner in which its products and services are provided, and in the management of its affairs”.

The license fee raised £3.8 billion ($4.7 billion) in 2022 for the BBC, representing around 71% of the BBC's total income of £5.3 billion – with the rest coming from its commercial and other activities such as grants, royalties and rental income.

The BBC also receives more than £90 million a year from the government to support the BBC World Service, which mostly serves audiences outside the UK.

Some have raised concerns about the government's influence on the BBC in recent months, with rows over chairman Richard Sharp's ties to former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and the place of former Downing Street communications director Sir Robbie Gibb on the BBC board.

Managing director Tim Davie insisted that board members “don't shape the results”, saying: “They don't make editorial decisions. We do.”