Elon Musk is all for memes and free speech â the former is often seen when websites or apps crash and users complain about it on Twitter â but apparently, he draws the line at impersonations, or so to say, when the jokes are on himself. In more signs of how dissent and parody over oneself may not be tolerated, Musk has tweeted a declaration, that accounts impersonating others, without specifically mentioning they are parody, will be booted off.
Parody accounts are not uncommon on social media platforms, and in the wake of Muskâs multi-billion-dollar acquisition of Twitter and the changes that have swept through the company since then, several accounts have changed their name to Elon Musk in reaction to the billionaireâs decisions. Some of these accounts belong to celebrities and have been tweeted as âElon Muskâ after the new owner of the micro-blogging site informed that all users can have verified accounts â if they are willing to pay $8 per month for it.
And now, Muskâs retaliation comes in the form of a tweet that informs that going forward, all Twitter handles that engaged in impersonation but failed to specify that it is a “parody” account, will be permanently suspended. To add to this, no prior warning will be issued before the suspension of the accounts. In case of a change in the name, the account will lose the âverified checkmarkâ for a short while.
Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying âparodyâ will be permanently suspended
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 6, 2022
This decision about parody accounts isnât a bluff, as Musk pointed out by banning the Twitter account of a US comedian. Kathy Griffin, the comedian in question, saw her account suspended (permanently) for changing her name to âElon Musk.â She can, Musk assured, have her account back, but only âfor $8.â
Griffin had tweeted about the US midterm elections, with a tweet saying, âAfter much-spirited discussion with the females in my life. Iâve decided that voting blue for their choice is only right (Theyâre also sexy females, btw.) #VoteBlueToProtectWomen.â
âGosh, if all these blue checkmarks start impersonating me to obliterate the power of my management it would be JUST LIKE a union strike, and I canât be having that! It would TANK the value of my $44b investment REAL quick :(,â the billionaire had tweeted a few days prior to the announcement.
This is a deviation from Twitterâs long-standing practice of issuing warnings before they are taken off the platform. Musk informed that since âwidespread verificationâ is on its way, there wonât be a prior warning, and that âthis will be clearly identified as a condition for signing up to Twitter Blue.â Additionally, it deviates from Muskâs words back in May 2022, soon after he had agreed to acquire Twitter, where the billionaire had argued against permanent suspensions of accounts from the platform.
For those who need a recap, Twitter Blue is the platformâs subscription service that lets subscribers enjoy access to premium features and perks â such as the âEdit Tweetâ feature â in exchange for a monthly subscription. With Musk at the helm as the CEO and its âComplaint Hotline Operator,â Twitter Blue has been revamped and expanded and will provide users with the coveted âblue tickâ verification mark if they agree to pay $8 per month. If already verified users wish to retain their Blue Tick, then they will have to pay the amount as well.