London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, May 11, 2025

Elon Musk

Musk pledges to remove Twitter imposters after celebrity protests

Twitter’s new owner makes comments after celebrities change user names to Elon Musk.
Twitter’s new owner makes comments after celebrities change user names to Elon Musk.

Elon Musk has said he will remove Twitter accounts that impersonate others amid a backlash over the billionaire’s decision to offer the platform’s blue check mark to all users for a monthly fee.

Musk said on Sunday that any accounts “engaging in impersonation” would be permanently suspended after some high-profile accounts changed their name to Elon Musk to protest the Tesla CEO’s shake-up of the platform’s verification standards.

“Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying ‘parody’ will be permanently suspended,” Musk tweeted.

“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.”

Musk tweeted later that “widespread verification” would democratise journalism and give voice to the public.

Over the weekend, celebrities including comedian Kathy Griffin and actor Valerie Bertinelli switched their screen names to Elon Musk in an apparent effort to highlight the dangers of doing away with identity verification.

Under Musk’s Twitter Blue subscription service, users will be able to obtain a blue check mark — without having to prove their identity — for a monthly fee of $7.99.

Previously, famous users and accounts considered to be of public interest could apply for a check mark free of charge after verifying their identity.

The new service appeared on Apple’s app store on Saturday but is yet to go live.

Musk, a self-professed “free speech absolutist”, has described the old verification rules as a “lords and peasants system” and cast the changes as a way to democratise the platform.

Since finalising his $44bn purchase of Twitter last month, Musk has ushered in sweeping changes at the influential social media company, including laying off about half of the platform’s 7,500 employees.

Critics have expressed fears that Musk’s ownership of the platform will worsen the problems of misinformation, hate speech and fake accounts, especially ahead of crucial midterm elections in the United States on Tuesday.

Amid concern within Twitter about the potential for discord in the vote, the New York Times reported on Sunday that the company had decided to delay the rollout of the new service until the day after the poll.

Musk’s plans for the social media giant have also sparked unease in the corporate world, with big brands, including General Motors, General Mills and Audi, pausing advertising as they seek clarity on its direction under its new owner.

Musk, who came under fire last week for tweeting an unfounded conspiracy theory about the assault of United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, has insisted he does not favour a “free-for-all hellscape”, but rather a “common digital town square” that allows a wide range of views.
Comments

Oh ya 3 year ago
The left is scared to death of free open speech. The left has owned Twitter all these years and are now losing their minds

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump fires director of U.S. Copyright Office, sources say
Retired British police officer arrested over ‘thought crime’ tweet
Cardinal Robert Prevost Elected as Pope Leo XIV, Marking a Historic Papacy
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Arrested at ICE Facility Amid Congressional Visit
India-Pakistan conflict may be first test for Chinese military tech
Bill Gates Announces Plan to Wind Down Philanthropic Foundation and Disperse Wealth
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
Huge Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery in Argentina and Chile — But the Profits Go Abroad
Prince Harry is pleading for reconciliation — but the royals are just as sick of his victimhood as everyone else
The Road to Freedom: She Protested Putin, Escaped House Arrest, and Survived a 2,800-Kilometer Journey
OpenAI's Flip-Flop: No Longer Going Commercial, Back to Nonprofit, After Musk Lawsuit and Backlash
“Trump Supporter” Aims to Bring a MAGA-Style Shift to Romania
First From China: Zhao Xintong Wins the Snooker World Championship
Nvidia Faces Billion-Dollar Losses – Warns: China Is on Its Way to Becoming an AI Superpower
Trump Rules Out Third Term, Names JD Vance and Marco Rubio as Potential Successors
Mexico Says ‘No’ to U.S. Troops: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Offer to Fight Cartels
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Storms the Map, Wrecking the Two-Party Monopoly
DOGE: Reimagining Government Operations with AI
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
Beijing Says U.S. Is ‘Reaching Out’ for Tariff Talks Amid Soaring Trade Tensions
U.K. Court Rejects Prince Harry’s Final Appeal Over Police Security
Prince Harry’s Heartfelt Outburst Rocks the Royal Family
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Transgender Swimmer Secures Five Gold Medals at U.S. Masters Championship
Prince Harry: “I Want Reconciliation with My Family”
Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has now been officially labeled “right-wing extremist” by the federal office for the so-called “protection of the constitution.”
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
This is a day in Spain without electricity and internet
Reform UK Surprises in British Elections, Challenging Traditional Two-Party System
180-Year-Old Christian University in South Carolina Announces Closure Due to Unmet $6 Million Fundraising Goal
Brazilian Woman Jailed for Fourteen Years for Writing “You Lost, Idiot” on Statue During Protest
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
Dutch Politician Eva Vlaardingerbroek Receives Spyware Threat Alert from Apple
Paramount Board Considers Settlement in Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit Over "60 Minutes" Interview
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
Deadline Looms for RTS Meter Replacement: Hundreds of Thousands at Risk of Heating Disruption
Sweden Grapples with Deadly Gun Violence: Suspect Arrested After Three Young Men Killed in Uppsala Hair Salon
Walz Reveals Why Harris Chose Him as Her Running Mate and Reflects on Democratic Losses
Spain Restores Power After Unprecedented Nationwide Blackout
Carney Secures Liberal Mandate in Canada’s Federal Election
Death Penalty Sought as Luigi Manion Pleads Not Guilty in CEO Murder Case
President Trump contacts Jeff Bezos after reports of Amazon considering listing tariff surcharges; company clarifies no such plan for main platform
Spain and Portugal Recover from Massive Blackout
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Singapore Politicians Warn Against Foreign Interference in Election
Driver Ploughs into Vancouver Festival Crowd, Killing Nine
Depression, Fear of Defamation, and a Tragic End: New Details on Virginia Giuffre’s Suicide
“Sharia for UK, Allah Akbar!”
×