Elon Musk's Twitter Inc on Friday brought back the "official" badge to some accounts, just days after doing away with it, while several users reported the new subscription option for the blue verification check mark had disappeared.
The move follows a surge in fake accounts on the platform
after new boss Elon Musk allowed users to pay $8 for the coveted blue check
mark that was previously reserved for verified accounts of politicians, actors
and other major personalities.
Fake accounts of several
big brands have popped up with the blue check, including
Musk's Tesla and SpaceX as well as Roblox, Nestle and Lockheed Martin.
"To combat impersonation, we've added an 'Official'
label to some accounts," Twitter's support account - which has the
"official" tag - tweeted on Friday. Musk on Wednesday tweeted he had
"killed" the new label, just hours after rolling it out.
Drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co issued an apology after an
imposter account tweeted that insulin would be free, amid political backlash
and scrutiny into the high prices of the medicine.
“We apologize to those who have been served a misleading
message from a fake Lilly account," the company said, reiterating the name
of its Twitter handle.
Among other examples, a number of misleading Tweets about
Tesla from a verified account with the same profile picture as the company's
official account were being circulated on the platform.
"Twitter has over the past several years worked to try
to improve that (misinformation). And it seems like Elon Musk has unraveled it
within a matter of weeks," A.J. Bauer, a professor at the University of
Alabama said.
Musk had said Twitter users engaging in impersonation
without clearly specifying it as a "parody" account will be
permanently suspended without a warning. Several fake brand accounts, including
those of Nintendo and BP, have been suspended.
Meanwhile, many users said the option to sign up for Twitter
Blue, the subscription service that comes with blue check verification, had
disappeared.
Twitter did not reply to a request for comment on that.
Earlier in the day, Musk said his companies will be
well-positioned in 2023 despite the possibility of a tough economy. Musk's
tweet came a day after he brought up the likelihood of Twitter going bankrupt.
In his first company-wide email, Musk warned that Twitter would not be able to
"survive the upcoming economic downturn" if it fails to boost
subscription revenue to offset falling advertising income, three people who saw
the message told Reuters.
Many companies, including General Motors and United
Airlines, have paused or pulled back from advertising on the platform after
Musk took over. In response, the billionaire said on Wednesday he aimed to turn
Twitter into a force for truth and stop fake accounts.
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