X is stepping up its efforts to curb impersonations and parody accounts on the platform.
Incoming changes are aimed at mitigating the risks of user confusion and account impersonation by providing greater transparency regarding the non-affiliated nature of Parody, Commentary, and Fan (PCF) accounts.
In a statement, the company said, ” Starting April 10, all PCF accounts will be required to include PCF-compliant keywords at the beginning of their account names and avoid using identical avatars to the entities they depict.”
Stricter guidelines for X parody accounts include the requirement that accounts impersonating individuals must preface their usernames with keywords like ‘fake’ or ‘parody’ and also utilize profile images that differ from those of the individuals they are portraying.
The Elon Musk-owned platform is encouraging affected accounts to update their profiles by the enforcement date. Accounts with the Parody label are subject to these requirements.
X is in the process of refining the label, rolled out in January of this year, and will provide further details on how it will eventually replace the current rules.
If an account is impersonating someone or misleading users, users can report it in-app or via the app’s help center.
Musk is one of the people who is widely impersonated. Many accounts are posing as Elon Musk parody accounts with posts ranging from memes and jokes to promoting cryptocurrency and car giveaways.
A popular Elon Musk impersonation account, boasting over a million followers, recently posted a message encouraging users to ‘like and comment’ for a chance to win a Tesla. The post has received 428,000 likes and more than 200,000 replies.
X cites this move as a plan to prevent misleading impersonation while allowing speech and discussion.
