UNITED STATES: Following a huge uproar over Elon Musk’s monumental changes introduced in Twitter, including the new verification system of paid ‘blue check’ on user handles, netizens have been suspended for creating fake accounts and parodying public figures on the social media platform.
Musk’s Twitter takeover was a huge fiasco. When he emerged on the platform as an active advocate of free speech (with restrictions on hate speech and disinformation), he ensured users that people were allowed to be funny again without being politically correct. He roared: “Comedy is now legal on Twitter.”
Soon, he began bringing in new changes. He conducted a wide-scale sacking of numerous key players in the Twitter world and introduced Twitter Blue. This service allows you to secure a verified blue tick for your account after paying $7.99 in an effort to make the platform more profitable.
However, Twitter users were far from amused, at least those who found it ridiculous to get themselves verified on a social media platform. The most pertinent way today’s youth could fire back at an antagonist through memes and parodies since, in Musk’s own words, “Comedy is now legal on Twitter.”
Perhaps, Musk was not ready for all the internet trolling when he realised that verified users, like Kathy Griffin, were changing their profiles to mimic his and tweeted posts to open up his eyes to the glaring monstrosity of identity theft and misinformation.
He did not take the ‘sarcasm’ well and outright suspended these parody accounts.
Another parody account named @h3h3productions, who had changed their name and image to Elon Musk, tweeted this before being temporarily banned from the platform: “Even though Jeffery Epstein committed horrible crimes, I do still miss him on nights like this for his warmth and comradery. Rest In Peace, old friend.”
In response, Musk’s team rolled out Twitter Official, a second check on top of the blue check to let you know that this person was verified.
When the mimicry and outright roasting became too much to bear for Musk, he announced that no verified account would be allowed to change its name. Legendary rapper Doja Cat’s handle at this point was “Christmas”, which she posted in a panic but was unable to change back. “how do I change it also fuck you, Elon,” she tweeted Thursday.
Impersonators like the real Nintendo account handle @nlntendoofus posted a smiley Mario flipping us off. At the same time, the verified @panstcord President Joe Biden also revealed explicit details of his duties at the White House.
Perturbed by the swift flow of parody accounts, Musk took to Twitter on Thursday and said he would be removing “legacy verified blue users” who possess blue checks for their status as government officials, celebrities, journalists, corporations and so on. Moreover, those who started the paid service were also notified that their subscription would be cancelled.
“Far too many corrupt legacy Blue’ verification’ checkmarks exist, so no choice but to remove legacy Blue in coming months,” he wrote in reply to a disgruntled Blue user, whose past verification as a public figure was usurped by her Blue blue check.
Also Read: Elon Musk Sells $3.95 Billion Worth of Tesla Shares Days after Buying Twitter
