The choice was made earlier today following the discovery of multiple verified Twitter accounts posing as Elon Musk and even US Vice President Joe Biden. As the ban affects “any Twitter” handle, not only verified users, it will have a wider effect on the platform. Twitter suspended a few verified accounts over the weekend for imitating Musk on the platform, including Kathy Griffin (2 million followers) and Indian-Australian professor Ian Woolford. Additional steps to prevent false information on Twitter have also been disclosed by Twitter’s new owner. Musk stated in a tweet that Twitter would henceforth immediately terminate accounts and not give a warning if it discovered users were impersonating others. The likelihood of false information from verified accounts is higher because more users will be able to see the blue tick mark included with the Twitter Blue subscription. According to Musk, “any name change at all will cause a temporary loss of the verified checkmark.” This came about as a result of verified accounts like Kathy Griffin’s and Ian Woolford changing their names to Elon Musk. At a time when many marketers are delaying spending on Twitter advertisements and the US midterm elections are quickly approaching, Twitter has decided to block accounts for impersonating other users. Advertisers worry that misinformation on Twitter may worsen as a result of Musk’s decision to fire 50% of his staff last week and that their advertising may be displayed next to damaging tweets or articles. In nations like the US, where midterm elections will be held this week, the dread is more apparent. By subscribing to Twitter Blue, more users will have access to the Twitter blue badge or verification symbol, according to Musk. Next month, the Twitter Blue plan will reach India, according to Musk. The $8 monthly subscription includes extra services like tweet editing and undoing in addition to providing a Twitter-verified mark.
