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Elon Musk threatens to ban impersonators from Twitter

Twitter reopening applications for people to apply for verified badge
Posted at 9:57 AM, Nov 07, 2022
and last updated 2022-11-07 10:15:12-05

Elon Musk is cracking down on users impersonating other people on Twitter.

The crackdown comes as many have complained about the new Twitter verification policy. Musk said Twitter would charge $7.99 for a subscription service that includes a blue checkmark.

Users claim people can impersonate others or lie about their qualifications, but appear to be legitimate because they have a blue checkmark. Prior to Musk's $44 billion takeover of the company, users were required to verify their identity to get a blue checkmark. No payment was required.

In an apparent attempt to make a point about the new policy, comedian Kathy Griffin changed her profile to appear as if it belonged to Musk.

Her account was then suspended. The new Twitter owner didn't directly respond to Griffin. However, he tweeted a response to impersonation accounts.

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

He added, "Any name change at all will cause temporary loss of verified checkmark."