After a weekend where several high-profile users changed their names and pictures to match Elon Musk’s, Twitter’s new owner says the social media platform will crack down on the practice.
(Bloomberg) — After a weekend where several high-profile users changed their names and pictures to match Elon Musk’s, Twitter’s new owner says the social media platform will crack down on the practice.
“Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying parody will be permanently suspended without warning,” Musk wrote in a Twitter post.
“Previously, we issued a warning before suspension, but now that we are rolling out widespread verification, there will be no warning,” he said. This will be “clearly identified” as a condition for signing up to the company’s paid subscription service Twitter Blue, Musk said. He added that any name change at all will cause temporary loss of a verified check mark.
Several users who had impersonated Musk’s Twitter handle, including comedian Kathy Griffin and former NFL player Chris Kluwe, have since had their accounts suspended. Musk later tweeted that Griffin can have her account back for $8, which is the monthly cost of a Twitter Blue subscription.
Read more: Twitter Delays Change to Check-Mark Badges Until After Midterms
(Updates with Musk’s tweet in fourth paragraph.)
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