Social Media Platform X, owned by Elon Musk is introducing tighter controls around parody accounts. Starting From 10 April, impersonation accounts impersonating another person or user are required to have key words such as “parody” or “fake”. The username should have “parody” or “fake” at the beginning of their account names.
Parody account owners will also be asked to employ different images than the X accounts of the person they are attempting to represent.
X Owned by Elon Musk Addresses Widespread Confusion
Others have also complained about the confusion perpetrated by the parody accounts on the platform. Some these also include those who claim to be its owner Elon Musk.
“These changes are designed to help users better understand the unaffiliated nature of PCF accounts and reduce the risk of confusion or impersonation,” the company said in a post on Saturday.
It prompted impacted accounts to refresh their profiles prior to the enforcement date.
Changes to Affect Fan and Comment Accounts Too
The modifications will also extend to fan and comment accounts, it stated, “ Hoping this includes all the thousands of fake variations of Elon Musk accounts,” commented a user.
Public Reaction to Statement Given By X
“About time, I get a fake Elon account contacting me almost once a week,” wrote another.
There are several parody accounts of the platform owner, presenting themselves as impersonations in different forms.
Misuse by Fake Accounts
Posts accessed from Elon Musk parody accounts included memes and jokes, to endorsing cryptocurrency and automobile giveaways.
A recent tweet from one Elon Musk parody account with over one million followers instructed users to “like and comment” for a possible chance to win a Tesla.
The post has been liked 428,000 times and over 200,000 replied.
X introduced parody account labels in January expanding on its policies. The expansion on X’s policies demanding users who are impersonating for entertainment purposes to label themselves as such.
Verification and Debate Policies Under Scrutiny
These, and the blue tick verification system of the platform, have been referred to as measures to avoid deceptive impersonation but enable speech and debate.
But the efficacy of such measures have been questioned. The EU indicated in July 2024 that the blue ticks violated its rules for online content, and its “verified” blue tick accounts could potentially “deceive” people.
Musk referred to the EU’s regulations as “misinformation”, in reply.
Post-Takeover Policy Stance of Elon Musk
After his takeover in November 2022, the Tesla CEO stated unlabelled impersonating accounts would be prohibited.
Most parody accounts on X label their parody status in brackets towards the end of user names. Although this might not be foolproof.
If the name of a parody account is very long, and only an abbreviated version is shown on feeds or replies. Users may inadvertently misled particularly if the image of the account is similar to that of the actual person.
