Musk announces new Twitter policy on impersonators
Twitter CEO Elon Musk says warnings will no longer be issued before suspensions
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Twitter CEO Elon Musk announced a new policy on Sunday requiring all impersonator accounts to specify that they are in fact a "parody."
"Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying ‘parody’ will be permanently suspended," Musk said in a tweet. "Previously, we issued a warning before suspension, but now that we are rolling out widespread verification, there will be no warning. This will be clearly identified as a condition for signing up to Twitter Blue."
He also said users will lose the verified check mark if they change their name on the platform.
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Musk recently announced that the platform would begin charging $8 per month for users who want a blue check mark showing verification of who they are.
The blue check mark was previously given to users through a verification process that separated impersonators from authentic users.
Since Musk’s announcement last week, users like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. and author Stephen King have turned to the platform to complain about the fee to be verified.
Both King and Ocasio-Cortez even got into Twitter battles with Musk over the charge, with King stating Twitter should pay him to be on the platform.
Since taking over Twitter, Musk, whose profile refers to him as "Twitter Complaint Hotline Operator," has aimed to reduce the amount of hate speech on the social media platform.
Many users, like Ocasio-Cortez, say this limits freedom of speech. Musk has an opposing stance, and his new verification process is part of that stance.
"Widespread verification will democratize journalism & empower the voice of the people," Musk said on Sunday. "Twitter needs to become by far the most accurate source of information about the world. That’s our mission.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk smiles as he addresses guests at the Offshore Northern Seas 2022 (ONS) meeting in Stavanger, Norway on August 29, 2022. (Carina Johansen / Getty Images)
"Power to the people," he added.