In this photo illustration, the image of Elon Musk is seen on a computer screen and the logo of Twitter is seen on a mobile phone in Ankara, Turkey on October 6, 2022.
Muhammad Selim Korkutata | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
After several prominent and Blue Check verified Twitter users changed their accounts to mimic the social network’s new owner, Elon Musk, he called for a swift change in policy enforcement.
Musk wrote Sunday that going forward, Twitter will permanently ban impersonators’ accounts without warning unless they are clearly labeled as parody.
In a series of tweets on Sunday, the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and now Twitter appeared to change his mind about permanent bans, writing:
“Go forwardall Twitter handles involved in identity theft without clearly stating “parody” will be permanently banned
So far, we issued a warning prior to the suspension, but now that we are rolling out a full review, there will be no more warning. This will be clearly marked as a condition of signing up for Twitter Blue.
Any name change at all will result in a temporary loss of the verified tick.”
In May, after agreeing to buy Twitter, Musk argued against lifetime bans and said he would reverse one against Donald Trump. Twitter had banned the former president from the US Capitol after the Jan. 6, 2021 riot over fears Trump’s tweets would lead to more violence. Trump has said he will not return to Twitter.
Before Musk completed his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter on Oct. 28, the social network was rules specified that users “must not impersonate any individual, group, or entity in order to mislead, confuse, or deceive others, nor use a fake identity in a manner that disrupts others’ experience on Twitter.”
The company previously claimed that users involved in parodies “should differentiate themselves BOTH their account name and bio.”
Twitter previously said it would take one of three actions in response to impersonators, including: “profile moderation,” “temporary suspension,” or a “permanent suspension.” The platform wouldn’t normally jump to a permanent ban on a user’s account for impersonation prior to Musk’s acquisition.
As of Sunday evening, Twitter had not updated its terms of service to reflect Musk’s direction.
The decision of the “chief twit,” as he jokingly calls himself, has sparked controversy and dismay, in part because Musk describes himself as a free speech absolutist.
Last week he slammed activists, including civil rights activists, who have urged advertisers to stop spending on Twitter until Musk proves the company can deliver on its promises of trust and safety under his leadership.
When Musk showed up at Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters on Oct. 27, online trolls and zealots raided the social network, polluting it with a barrage of racist swear words and other hate speech. Researchers said Twitter took appropriate action in response but should have anticipated the raid and attempted to prevent it.
Review Changes
After running the gauntlet, Musk implemented drastic job cuts at Twitter, laying off about 3,700 employees from all departments, including firings of content moderators and other trust and security professionals. A key focus for him is redesigning the platform’s subscription product and verification system.
Blue check verification used to be reserved for public figures like politicians and celebrities who were likely to be impersonated by bad actors. Now, Musk plans to provide a certification mark to anyone who pays $7.99 a month for Twitter Blue, a subscription product.
The verification changes drew ridicule and emulation from those who believe it will make finding good information and authentic accounts on the platform more difficult, rather than helping.
One of the comedians who posed as Musk over the weekend, Kathy Griffin, had her account suspended on Sunday. Changing her display name to Elon Musk and her profile picture to match his, she then tweeted, “After many lively discussions with the women in my life, I have decided that blue is the only right choice for her to choose (they’re sexy bitches too, by the way)”
Actor Rich Sommer, best known for his role as Harry Crane on AMC’s “Mad Men,” has also had his account suspended after he changed his display name and profile picture to impersonate Musk.
Pretending to be Musk on Twitter, Sommer quipped on Friday, “I’m overwhelmed. He later added more searingly, “Ok it’s time to employ Plan B as they’re making me keep Twitter you know curious what it’s about (racism).”
Twitter and Elon Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment or confirmation as to whether Sommer and Griffin were permanently banned.
Others who posed as Musk included actress Valerie Bertinelli, who changed her display name to Elon Musk on Saturday and then posted tweets urging her supporters to vote for Democratic candidates.
Sarah Silverman, the comedian, writer and host of I Love You, America, also changed her display name and avatar photo to look like Elon Musk’s. She then appeared to be speaking in Musk’s voice, writing a teenage crack: “I’m an absolute freelancer and I eat Doody for breakfast every day.”
Bertinelli changed her profile back before Twitter took any apparent action against her account. She wrote on Sunday morning: “Okey-dokey I’ve had my fun and I think I’ve made my point. I’m just not a ‘trendy’ type of girl. It never was, never wants to be. Have a safe Sunday everyone! xo”
Silverman remained on the platform, only returning to her own photo and display name after her account was suspended by Twitter. In a post to her 12 million listed fans and followers on Sunday, Silverman wrote: “1) 9 days ago, 2) yesterday, 3) today. We’re having fun,” and added three pictures.
One image referenced a promise Musk made to his followers on Oct. 28, when he wrote that “comedy is now legal on Twitter,” right after he bought the platform. The others showed their joke tweet and that it had triggered a restriction.
Musk defended himself against critics who see his new enforcement policy as going against the values of free speech he champions Sunday. He wrote: “My commitment to freedom of expression extends even to not having the account that follows my plane suspended, even though it poses a direct personal security risk.”
College student Jack Sweeney created a Twitter account with publicly available data that updates automatically to show the whereabouts of Musk’s frequent flights on his private jet. Musk pressured Sweeney and even offered to pay him to turn off the flight tracker, but it stay on twitter even now.
After calling for a ban on impersonators without a parody label on Sunday, Musk also sought to divert the focus away from free speech. He wrote: “Twitter must become by far the most accurate source of information about the world. That is our mission.”