Fake ‘Blue Check’ Twitter Accounts Flourish Under Elon Musk’

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Fake ‘Blue Check’ Twitter Accounts Flourish Under Elon Musk’

Postby admin » Fri Nov 11, 2022 7:35 am

Fake ‘Blue Check’ Twitter Accounts Flourish Under Elon Musk’s New Plan
by Helen Chandler-Wilde
Bloomberg News
11/10/22

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(Bloomberg) -- There’s a new breed of users posing as celebrities and politicians after the launch of Twitter’s $8-a-month verification service.

People using false identities were awarded blue check marks on the website after the social media site changed its policy on verification after Elon Musk’s $44 billion purchase of the company last month. In one of his first acts at the company, he announced those badges would be available to buy under an $8-a-month subscription service.

Previously, the company had granted verification to people that it deemed to be high-profile and at risk of impersonation, such as politicians, celebrities or journalists.

One account with a blue tick appeared to show former US president George W. Bush tweeting an offensive message according to screenshots circulating online. The images showed another false account claiming to be former British prime minister Tony Blair retweeting the post. Both had been deleted by the time of writing.

Serious examples of confusion also include an account that claimed to be O.J. Simpson writing a message about the infamous trial in which he was acquitted of the murder of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, according to other screenshots posted online.


Other users were caught in the changing policy with less grave results. Singer Doja Cat found that she was unable to change her display name back from “christmas” after a new rule came in. “Why can’t I change my name on here,” she wrote. “I don’t wanna be Christmas forever @elonmusk please help I’ve made a mistake,” she added shortly after.

Musk responded by writing “working on it!” but added that the mistake was “pretty funny though.”

Entrepreneur Mark Cuban complained that the new system made it harder to filter out notifications, which can be done by screening out accounts that are not verified. He wrote that he had previously done this to reduce the amount of trolling that he saw on the platform.

“I just spent too much time muting all the newly purchased checkmark accts in an attempt to make my verified mentions useful again,” he tweeted.


“It’s working for me. That said, we can definitely make the verified mentions tab more usable,” responded Musk.

More confusion arose after the company’s “official” tags were ditched. The gray check marks were rolled out Wednesday to accounts that previously had been verified under the old rules, but were ditched within hours after Musk changed his mind.

The legacy blue checks will be removed in “coming months,” said Musk in a tweet Thursday. He said too many “corrupt” verification marks exist right now, and there was no choice but to phase out the old checks.


The new subscription is currently available only via in-app purchases on Apple iOS products in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US, according to Twitter’s website.

©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
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Re: Fake ‘Blue Check’ Twitter Accounts Flourish Under Elon M

Postby admin » Sat Nov 12, 2022 1:38 am

Eli Lilly Stock Takes A Dip After Verified Twitter Imposter Says Insulin Is Free
Whoops!

by Sara Boboltz
HuffPost
Nov 11, 2022, 06:13 PM EST

Eli Lilly’s stock dipped Friday morning after someone paid $8 to verify a Twitter handle resembling that of the pharmaceutical giant and posted: “We are excited to announce insulin is free now.”

Insulin, of course, is not free. In the U.S., one study released this summer found that the high price of the lifesaving drug puts an extreme financial burden on about 14% of the 7 million Americans who need it regularly.

The prank appears to have served to highlight this harsh reality, prompting backlash from people who use Twitter. Other insulin manufacturers, Sanofi and Novo Nordisk, also saw their stocks take a dip.

The Eli Lilly imposter verified the handle @EliLillyandCo, taking advantage of Twitter’s new rules governing who gets to have a verified account. The company’s real handle is @LillyPad.
Eli Lilly and Company
@EliLillyandCo

We are excited to announce insulin is free now.
10:36 AM Nov 10, 2022 Twitter for iPhone
1,995 Retweets 851 Quote Tweets 14.6K Likes

The fake Eli Lilly tweet. TWITTER

The imposter tweet, posted at 1:36 p.m. Thursday, garnered more than 10,000 likes before it was removed by the platform. The real Eli Lilly posted an apology around 4 p.m. directed at anyone who was “served a misleading message from a fake Lilly account.” Screenshots of the tweet went viral on Twitter that evening.

Eli Lilly’s stock closed Thursday at $368.36, but dropped to $346.37 the following morning after fluctuating no more than $10 over the last five days. It’s still up significantly, however, from this time last year.
Eli Lilly and Company
@LillyPad
Official

We apologize to those who have been served a misleading message from a fake Lilly account. Our official Twitter account is @LillyPad.

2:09 PM Nov 10, 2022

Another fake tweet made to look like it was from Eli Lilly poked fun at the apology and added: “Humalog is now $400. We can do this whenever we want and there’s nothing you can do about it.” (Humalog is a brand of insulin.)

Asked whether Eli Lilly was in touch with Twitter’s leadership in regard to the situation, a company spokesperson told HuffPost: “We are deeply committed to ensuring patients and customers receive accurate information about our medicines. In recent days, fake/parody Twitter accounts for Lilly have communicated false information and we’re working to correct this situation.” The spokesperson also included a link to Eli Lilly’s corporate website.

Previously, the verification process was designed to ensure authenticity ― that people and organizations were who they said they were, as is the case on other platforms.

Chaos ensued after Elon Musk, Twitter’s new overlord, decided that it would be better to allow anyone a blue checkmark next to their name if they paid $8 per month for Twitter Blue, a premium version of the site.

The result is that anyone can pay $8 to pretend to be anyone else on Twitter until the site’s staffers can suspend the account. Musk also laid off roughly half of Twitter’s workforce last week, including teams that handle content moderation, meaning that there are fewer people to handle mischief and shenanigans.


In the last couple of days, people have used Twitter to pretend to be O.J. Simpson (“Ya I’m ngl I did that shit”); Tesla (“BREAKING: A second Tesla has hit the World Trade Center”); Chiquita (“We’ve just overthrown the government of Brazil”); and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (“We <3 [LOVE] apartheid”).

While Musk asserted just two weeks ago that “comedy is now legal on Twitter,” he has since been forced to backpedal on his free-for-all vision as advertisers expressed their discomfort by freezing their spending on the platform.

On Friday, the company suspended new Twitter Blue signups while it works on how to deal with the impersonation issues.
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Re: Fake ‘Blue Check’ Twitter Accounts Flourish Under Elon M

Postby admin » Sat Nov 12, 2022 8:00 am

'Things Are Getting Buggier' Inside Twitter's Turmoil
by Katie Tur
MSNBC
Nov 11, 2022

Katy Tur sat down with Business Insider's Linette Lopez to talk about the rapid decline of Twitter after Elon Musk acquired the site.



Transcript

0:01
>> SO INTERESTING.
0:02
WE WILL WATCH AS IT DEVELOPS.
0:04
KEN DILANIAN, THANK YOU VERY
0:05
MUCH.
0:05
>>> TWITTER, LET'S TALK ABOUT
0:06
TWITTER, BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE ON
0:07
THE VERGE OF COLLAPSING.
0:09
THREE MORE OF TWITTER'S TOP
0:11
SECURITY SAFETY AND PRIVACY
0:12
EXECUTIVES ANNOUNCED THEIR
0:14
RESIGNATIONS.
0:15
AND CNBC REPORTS THAT ELON MUSK
0:16
HAS TOLD TWITTER EMPLOYEES THAT
0:18
HE'S BEEN FORCED TO SELL
0:21
BILLIONS IN TESLA STOCK TO KEEP
0:25
TWITTER AFLOAT.
0:27
AT THE SAME TIME, TWITTER BLEW A
0:31
PAY-BASED VERIFICATION SYSTEM
0:32
INTENDING TO BRING IN REVENUE,
0:34
APPEARS TO BE ON PAUSE, AFTER AN
0:35
EMBARRASSING AND COSTLY
0:38
IMPERSONATORS BOUGHT THEMSELVES
0:39
A BLUE CHECK.
0:40
WITH ME NOW IS INSIDER COLUMNIST
0:43
LYNETTE LOPEZ.
0:43
LET'S TALK FIRST ABOUT THESE
0:46
IMPERSONATORS.
0:47
THEY BOUGHT THEMSELVES A BLUE
0:47
CHECK AND SAID I'M NINTENDO OR
0:50
I'M ELI LILLY.
0:51
>> OR I'M TESLA.
0:52
>> OR I'M TESLA.
0:53
>> AND I JUST RAMMED MY CAR INTO
0:54
A BUILDING.
0:55
ON AUTO PILOT.
0:57
THINGS THAT WOULD EMBARRASS MUSK
0:58
AND THINGS THAT QUITE FRANKLY
1:01
NOT TO BE PRETTY SMART ON THE
1:03
PLATFORM TO SEE THAT ARE FAKE.
1:04
YOU GOT TO LOOK AT IT A LITTLE
1:06
BIT MORE.
1:06
CERTAINLY MORE THAN WE'VE BEEN
1:07
USED TO THIS THIS WORLD OF
1:09
SCROLLING THAT WE LIVE IN.
1:13
IT'S MADE THE PLATFORM A LOT
1:14
MORE MESSY.
1:14
BUT EVEN FROM THE BACK END, YOU
1:16
KNOW, SOURCES ARE TELLING ME
1:17
THAT THINGS ARE GETTING BUGGIER.
1:20
OBVIOUSLY, YOU FIRE HALF THE
1:22
STAFF, YOU GET RID OF SAFETY
1:24
PROTOCOLS, YOU GET RID OF ALL OF
1:25
THE THINGS THAT KIND OF, ALL OF
1:27
THE PEOPLE WHO HAD INSTITUTIONAL
1:30
KNOWLEDGE, AND THINGS START TO
1:31
BREAK DOWN ON THE PLATFORM.
1:32
ON THE BACK END.
1:33
AND THEN WHEN THOSE PROBLEMS
1:34
START TO COMPILE, YOU'LL START
1:38
TO SEE IT MORE ON THE FRONT END
1:39
AS USERS.
1:42
>> A BUTCH OF -- A BUNCH OF
1:48
FIRINGS AND RESIGNATIONS AND IF
1:50
YOU'RE LOOKING AT YOUR ACCOUNT,
1:52
SHOULD YOU IDENTIFY YOUR PHONE
1:53
NUMBER OR IDENTIFYING STUFF THAT
1:53
YOU THINK IS PRIVATE, THAT I
1:55
DON'T KNOW, IF THERE IS NOBODY
1:56
RUNNING THE PRIVACY CENTER AT
1:58
TWITTER ANYLONGER, MIGHT NOT SO
2:00
BE SO PRIVATE OR SO FORTIFIED
2:02
AGAINST A HACKER.
2:03
>> THIS GETS INTO SOME STUFF THE
2:05
ENGINEERS HAVE BEEN TALKING
2:07
ABOUT AT TWITTER.
2:08
ELON IS MAKING THEM CHANGE
2:10
THINGS SO FAST, THIS IS CLASSIC
2:13
ELON, WITHOUT ASKING ANY
2:14
QUESTIONS THAT THE ENGINEERS
2:15
FEEL THAT THEY THEMSELVES MIGHT
2:17
BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR PRIVACY
2:20
PROBLEMS, FOR SECURITY ISSUES,
2:21
AND --
2:22
>> AND THAT'S AN FCC VIOLATION,
2:23
RIGHT?
2:24
>> IT IS AN FTC VIOLATION.
2:26
>> FTC.
2:26
>> SO THEY'RE RINGING ALARM
2:28
BELLS TO SAY HEY, YOU KNOW, THE
2:30
REGULATORS NEED TO STEP IN AND
2:32
FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
2:34
I THINK ALSO THIS IS A CALL TO
2:39
OUR LEGISLATORS THAT WE NEED
2:40
PRIVACY LEGISLATION IN THIS
2:41
COUNTRY, TO HOLD THE PEOPLE WHO
2:42
ARE KEEPING OUR DIGITAL
2:44
INFORMATION EVEN MORE
2:46
ACCOUNTABLE.
2:46
FOR THE WAY THAT THEY RUN THEIR
2:47
BUSINESSES.
2:48
SO YOU DON'T HAVE THIS KIND OF
2:52
FIREHOSE OF NONSENSE AND
2:53
POTENTIAL SECURITY ISSUES.
2:55
>> SO ELON ALSO WARNED THAT THE
2:58
COMPANY ITSELF MIGHT GO
3:00
BANKRUPT.
3:00
HE SAID HE HAD TO SELL A LOT OF
3:03
MONEY IN TESLA STOCK.
3:04
>> I COULD HAVE TOLD HIM THAT.
3:06
I ACTUALLY, I ACTUALLY WROTE A
3:08
PIECE SAYING THAT, IN APRIL, I
3:10
WISH HE HAD READ IT.
3:11
>> IS IT TWITTER THAT WILL GO
3:12
BANKRUPT OR ELON MUSK THAT MIGHT
3:14
GO BANKRUPT?
3:14
>> WELL, ELON HAS OPTIONS.
3:16
HE CAN CONTINUE TO SELL TESLA
3:18
SHARES LIKE HE HAS BEEN DOING,
3:20
TO RAISE CASH, HE CAN TRY TO GET
3:23
MORE DEBT ON TWITTER WHICH I
3:24
DON'T THINK IS POSSIBLE, THERE
3:26
IS 12 BILLION ALREADY, AND THE
3:27
BANKERS WOULD HAVE AN ISSUE
3:29
RUNNING THAT, LENDING THAT MONEY
3:31
YEAH ANYWAY.
3:32
HE COULD HAVE TESLA BUY.
3:32
IT I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF HE
3:34
DID THAT.
3:34
WHEN HE WAS INVESTED, AND HIS
3:36
COUSINS WERE INVESTED IN SOLAR
3:38
CITY IN 2015, 2016, AND IT WAS
3:40
GOING BANKRUPT, HE HAD TESLA BUY
3:41
IT FOR STOCK, BECAUSE HE DIDN'T
3:43
WANT TO LOSE MONEY ON THAT DEAL.
3:44
AND HE WILL LOSE A LOT OF MONEY
3:46
ON THIS DEAL, TWITTER IS
3:50
BLEEDING AD REVENUE, AND THAT'S
3:52
98% OF HIS REVENUE, AND YOU
3:53
KNOW, HE HAS TO DO SOMETHING.
3:55
>> AND YOU ALSO HAVE A LOT OF
3:56
PEOPLE WHO WERE FIRED OR
3:57
RESIGNING THAT KNOW HOW TO BUILD
3:59
A SOCIAL MEDIA SITE.
4:00
AND TWITTER'S NOT THE MOST
4:02
COMPLICATED OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA
4:04
ALGORITHMS, AND BUILDOUTS.
4:07
COULD WE SEE A TWITTER
4:08
COMPETITOR COME IN SOON?
4:12
>> PLEASE.
4:12
IF YOU THINK YOU CAN DO A
4:14
TWITTER COMPETITOR, PLEASE DO
4:16
IT.
4:16
PLEASE DO IT NOW.
4:18
>> MAYBE WE STAY OFF SOCIAL
4:20
MEDIA AND LIVE OUR LIVES AND
4:21
DON'T FOCUS ON BEING ON THE
4:22
PHONE AND SCROLLING ALL DAY
4:23
LONG.
4:24
>> WHY SHOULD WE GIVE UP SOCIAL
4:25
MEDIA BECAUSE SOME GUY --
4:27
>> BECAUSE --
4:27
>> BECAUSE SOME GUY WITH A
4:30
BILLIONAIRE CRISIS IS HAVING TO
4:31
EXERCISE SECURITIES ON ALL OF
4:32
US, ON THE PLATFORM.
4:33
>> IT'S A GOOD THING.
4:34
MAYBE THIS IS THE BREAK WE
4:36
NEEDED.
4:37
MAYBE THIS IS THE MOMENT WHERE
4:38
WE PULL OUR HEADS OUT OF THE
4:39
WATER AND WE SAY AH, THE AIR IS
4:41
GREAT, AND I CAN BREATHE AGAIN.
4:43
>> I ENJOY THE AIR.
4:44
I DON'T HAVE TWITTER ON MY
4:46
PHONE.
4:46
I JUST USE IT WHEN IT IS ON MY
4:48
COMPUTER.
4:48
I JUST FEEL LIKE WE'RE ALL
4:50
PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR
4:51
HAVING HEALTHY SOCIAL MEDIA
4:52
METHODS, I DO NOT WANT TO GIVE
4:54
UP TWITTER JUST BECAUSE ELON
4:56
MUSK SAID SO AND BROKE.
4:57
IT THAT'S RIDICULOUS.
4:58
>> I AM HAPPY TO SEE TWITTER
5:01
DIE.
5:01
>> WELL, OKAY.
5:02
>> WELL --
5:04
>> NOT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE JOBS
5:05
BUT JUST SOCIAL MEDIA.
5:06
I'M TIRED OF SCROLLING.
5:08
>> I'M TIRED OF SCROLLING, TOO.
5:09
AND I'M TIRED OF EVERYBODY
5:11
THINKING SOCIAL MEDIA IS THE
5:12
ANSWER TO ALL OF OUR
5:14
COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS.
5:15
YOU KNOW.
5:16
>> YES.
5:16
>> WE AS A SOCIETY NEED TO GO

******************************

Elon Musk Says Twitter Should Be Open Source, Kara Swisher Says He Thinks He’s Tony Stark
by Katy Tur
Apr 14, 2022

Elon Musk has sent shockwaves through the tech industry after offering to buy Twitter. In a TED talk, he said he believes the algorithm should be open source. Kara Swisher talks with Katy Tur about Musk’s ambitions for Twitter and what the implications could be for free speech.



Transcript


0:05
>>> WILL YOU SOON HAVE TO PAY TO
0:07
USE TWITTER?
0:12
IF ELON MUSK GETS HIS WAY,
0:16
MAYBE.
0:16
THIS IS WHAT HE SAID JUST
0:19
MOMENTS AGO AT A CONFERENCE IN
0:24
VANCOUVER.
0:24
>> TWITTER HAS BECOME
0:25
EFFECTUALLY THE TOWN SQUARE, AND
0:26
IT'S THE POINT THAT PEOPLE HAVE
0:28
THE REALITY AND THE PERCEPTION
0:32
THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO SPEAK
0:35
FREELY WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF THE
0:37
LAW, AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS I
0:41
BELIEVE TWITTER SHOULD DO IS
0:44
OPEN SOURCE THE ALGORITHM.
0:48
>> MUSK IS OFFERING A PREMIUM,
0:53
AND HE'S ALSO TALKING A LITTLE
0:57
TRASH.
0:57
IN A LETTER TO TWITTER'S
0:59
CHAIRMAN SAYING HE DOESN'T HAVE
1:02
CONFIDENCE IN THE CURRENT
1:04
MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE AND HE,
1:09
ELON MUSK, COULD UNLOCK IT'S
1:12
POTENTIAL, AND JOINING ME, "NEW
1:17
YORK TIMES" CONTRIBUTOR AND
1:19
PIVOT CO HOST.
1:21
YOU HAVE BEEN TEXTING WITH ME.
1:24
KARA, WHAT IS HE SAYING?
1:26
>> ACTUALLY, E-MAILING.
1:27
I TOLD HIM MY SONS LIKE THE
1:33
54/20 JOKE, THAT HE IS MAKING
1:35
ABOUT WEED THAT MOST PEOPLE
1:37
REALIZE.
1:38
I HAVE INTERVIEWED HIM LOTS AND
1:40
LOTS OF TIMES AND I WANT TO TAKE
1:42
HIM THROUGH THE PACES OF WHAT
1:43
HE'S DOING HERE, BECAUSE HE
1:44
NEEDS A LITTLE BIT OF PUSHBACK,
1:46
I SUSPECT, AND HE'S MAKING
1:49
CLAIMS, SOME WHICH ARE
1:51
INTERESTING AND SOME ARE
1:52
DRAMATIC, BECAUSE ELON MUSK IS
1:55
DRAMATIC.
1:55
I THINK A LOT OF WALL STREET
1:57
DOESN'T THINK HE'S SERIOUS,
1:59
BECAUSE THE STOCK HAS NOT DRIVEN
2:02
AT ALL, AND IT LOOKS LIKE HE'S
2:05
TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE STOCK,
2:07
AND I THINK HE'S MUCH MORE
2:09
SERIOUS THAN THAT BUT I AM NOT
2:10
SURE HE CAN AFFORD IT, EVEN
2:14
THOUGH HE SAID IT ONSTAGE AND
2:17
THAT PUTS HIS OTHER COMPANIES AT
2:18
GREAT RISK.
2:18
>> IF HE WAS ABLE TO AFFORD IT
2:22
AND IF THE SHAREHOLDERS WERE TO
2:23
TAKE HIM UP ON THE OFFER, AND
2:26
WHETHER HE'S A FREE SPEECH
2:29
ABSOLUTIST, AND HE SAYS YES,
2:32
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
2:34
WOULD HE LET SOMEBODY LIKE
2:37
DONALD TRUMP BACK ON THE
2:42
PLATFORM?
2:42
>> OH, YEAH, HE THOUGHT THAT
2:45
DECISION WAS NOT CORRECT.
2:46
HE TWEETED ABOUT IT SEVERAL
2:47
TIMES, I THINK.
2:48
AT LEAST ONCE THAT HE THOUGHT IT
2:50
WAS THE WRONG THING.
2:51
YOU KNOW, HE SORT OF DABBLES IN
2:53
THIS AREA AND TALKS ABOUT FREE
2:56
SPEECH, BUT HE HAS NEVER RUN A
3:01
SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM, AND I
3:04
THINK HE WOULD FIND IT HARDER TO
3:07
RUN IT IN WHAT SHOULD BE DONE
3:09
AND NOT, AND IT'S EASY TO MAKE
3:12
OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SIDELINES
3:13
AND HE'S GOOD THE THAT, AND
3:16
RUNNING IT IS ANOTHER STORY.
3:18
THIS COMPANY IS NOT A BIG
3:20
COMPANY AND NOT A GOOD BUSINESS,
3:22
AND I THINK HE'S RIGHT THAT THE
3:26
POTENTIAL NEEDS TO BE UNLOCKED
3:27
AND IT HAS MORE VALUE OVER THE
3:29
COURSE OF ITS HISTORY.
3:31
>> HE'S TALKING ABOUT A
3:33
SUBSCRIBER BASE, PAYING MONEY,
3:35
AND DOES THAT MEAN THERE WOULD
3:37
BE ADS ON THE PLATFORM, AND PART
3:40
OF THE THING PEOPLE HATE ABOUT
3:42
INSTAGRAM, ALTHOUGH IT'S QUITE
3:44
ADDICTIVE, EVERY OTHER STROLL IS
3:46
AN AD FOR SOMETHING.
3:47
>> AND IT'S QUITE LUCRATIVE, BY
3:50
THE WAY.
3:50
THERE ARE ADS ON TWITTER BUT YOU
3:53
DON'T SEE IT, AND THAT'S HOW BAD
3:55
THEY ARE ON IT.
3:56
YOU AND I AND A LOT OF PEOPLE
4:00
WOULD PAY, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY
4:01
SUBSCRIBERS YOU HAVE, AND IT'S A
4:03
GREAT MARKETING AND NEWS
4:06
DISTRIBUTION VEHICLE, AND IT'S
4:09
GIVING EVERYTHING AWAY FOR FREE,
4:10
AND THEY HAVE AN AD BUSINESS AND
4:17
AND HE'S TALKING ABOUT A PUBLIC
4:20
SQUARE BUT IT'S A PRIVATE
4:24
SQUARE, IT'S A PRIVATE COMPANY,
4:25
AND HE WANTS TO BRING IT PRIVATE
4:26
SO IT CAN DO SOME OF THE THINGS
4:28
WITHOUT PRESSURE FROM WALL
4:30
STREET AND THE STOCK PRICE.
4:31
>> TWITTER, IT'S VERY TRICKY,
4:33
AND HE'S HAD A LARGE AFFECT ON
4:39
DEMOCRACIES ABROAD, AND WE ALSO
4:43
SAW HERE WITH THE INSURRECTION,
4:44
AND HE'S TALKING ABOUT GETTING
4:46
RID OF THE BOT ARMIES?
4:49
IF YOU COULD GET RID OF THEM
4:52
EASILY, WOULDN'T TWITTER HAVE
4:54
DONE IT?
4:54
>> IF YOU MAKE IT A
4:57
SUBSCRIPTION, IT SOLVES PROBLEMS
4:58
IN THAT WAY.
4:59
EVERY ONE OF THESE SITES,
5:02
INCLUDING FACEBOOK, WHICH HAS
5:04
UNLIMITED RESOURCES HAVE ISSUES
5:07
ON THIS, AND IT DOES RUIN THE
5:09
EXPERIENCE ON TWITTER.
5:11
BY THE WAY, ELON HAS A BOT ARMY,
5:14
AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT
5:17
MAY NOT BE IN EXISTENCE, AND
5:19
THAT SAID HE HAS A LOT OF FANS
5:21
AND IT COULD GET THEM GOING
5:22
DEPENDING ON WHAT HE'S TWEETING
5:25
ABOUT, WEED OR TAKING OVER
5:26
TWITTER, AND HE DOES A LOT OF
5:29
DIFFERENT MEME STUFF.
5:30
THIS IS A COMPANY UNDER
5:32
LEVERAGED, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE
5:33
LOOKED AT IT AND IT HAS A LOT OF
5:36
HAIR ON IT, INCLUDING DONALD
5:37
TRUMP, SPEAKING OF HAIR.
5:39
TO BRING HIM BACK, YOU KNOW,
5:42
WITHOUT ELON MUSK, THEY HAVE TO
5:43
THINK ABOUT IT IF HE RUNS FOR
5:45
PRESIDENT AND IF HE WINS CAN
5:49
THEY BRING HIM BACK ON IT.
5:50
>> IT'S SO TRICKY, KARA, BECAUSE
5:53
THERE ARE REAL AND DEVASTATING
5:54
CONSEQUENCES FOR USING THAT
5:57
PLATFORM TO LIE.
5:58
WE HAVE SEEN IT HAPPEN.
6:01
I WONDER -- YOU KNOW, IN TALKING
6:03
ABOUT THIS, IT'S FUNNY, ELON
6:05
MUSK WANTS TO BUY IT, BUT THERE
6:07
ARE --
6:07
>> I GET IT --
6:10
>> -- BUT THERE ARE LIFE
6:12
ALTERING CONSEQUENCES FOR
6:13
LETTING PEOPLE RUN WILD ON THE
6:17
THING.
6:17
>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY, AND
6:18
FACEBOOK IS THE REAL ACTION ON
6:21
THAT.
6:21
IT HAS AN OUT SIZED INFLUENCE,
6:24
BECAUSE POLITICIANS LIKE IT AND
6:26
WORLD LEADERS AND ELON MUSK.
6:28
SO IF HE'S NOT GOING TO DO
6:30
THIS -- BY THE WAY, TWITTER AND
6:36
SOME OF ITS USERS ARE SAYING NO,
6:40
AND WHAT IS HE GOING TO DO?
6:41
HE WILL HAVE TO UNLOAD THE 10%
6:44
STAKE, AND THAT'S WHAT HE WILL
6:45
HAVE TO DO OR RAISE PRIVATE
6:50
FINANCING, WHICH HAS ITS OWN
6:52
RISKS, AND POSSIBLY REWARDS BUT
6:56
A LOT OF RISKS.
6:58
>> THEY ASKED IF THIS WAS A PLAN
7:01
B, AND HE SAID YES
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Re: Fake ‘Blue Check’ Twitter Accounts Flourish Under Elon M

Postby admin » Tue Nov 15, 2022 1:38 am

Elon Musk mocks Senator after his Twitter account was impersonated saying his 'real account sounds like a parody': Democrat Ed Markey fires back, warning him 'Fix your companies. Or Congress will'
by James Gordon
DailyMail.com
November 14, 2022 | UPDATED: 02:41 EST, November 14, 2022

** Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) has threatened Elon Musk to 'fix' his companies 'or Congress will'

** It came hours after Musk mocked the senator for demanding answers about Twitter's verification process

** Markey had tweeted to Musk demanding Twitter explain how a Washington Post reporter was able to successfully set up a verified account impersonating him

** Musk responded with frivolity saying: 'Perhaps it is because your real account sounds like a parody?' 'And why does your pp have a mask!?'

** Markey fired back 'Fix your companies. Or Congress will.'

** Markey sits on Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, overseeing Federal Trade Commission and National Highway Traffic Safety

A senator has clashed with billionaire and Twitter owner Elon Musk after his personal account was impersonated by a reporter at the Washington Post who was testing how easy it is now to create a fake profile of a public official.

Democrat Ed Markey of Massachusetts sent a letter to Musk on Friday demanding he provide information as to what kind of verification processes are in place for accounts on Twitter.

He accused the social media company's new owner of allowing the spread of disinformation and 'putting profits over people.'

The fake account impersonating Markey was created with the senator's permission and was later suspended.

Image
Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) has threatened Elon Musk to 'fix' his companies 'or Congress will'. It came hours after Musk mocked the senator for demanding answers about Twitter's verification process

Image

Image
Ed Markey
@SenMarkey

A @washingtonpost reporter was able to create a verified account impersonating me -- I'm asking for answers from @elonmusk who is putting profits over people and his debt over stopping disinformation. Twitter must explain how this happened and how to prevent it from happening again.


Markey had tweeted to Musk demanding Twitter explain how a Washington Post reporter was able to successfully set up a verified account impersonating him.

Image
Image
EDWARD J. MARKEY
MASSACHUSETTS

COMMITTEES:
ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS
CHAIR:
SUBCOMMITTEE ON CLEAN AIR, CLIMATE, AND NUCLEAR SAFETY
FOREIGN RELATIONS
CHAIR:
SUBCOMMITTEE ON EAST ASIA, THE PACIFIC, AND INTERNATIONAL CYBERSECURITY POLICY
COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
CHAIR:
U.S. SENATE CLIMATE CHANGE TASK FORCE

SUITE SD-255
DIRKSEN BUILDING
WASHINGTON, DC 20510-2107
202-224-2742

975 JFK FEDERAL BUILDING
15 NEW SUDBURY STREET
BOSTON, MA 02203
617-565-8519

222 MILLIKEN BOULEVARD, SUITE 312
FALL RIVER, MA 02721
508-677-0523

1550 MAIN STREET, 4TH FLOOR
SPRINGFIELD, MA 01103
413-785-4610

November 11, 2022

Elon Musk
Chief Executive Officer
Twitter, Inc.
1355 Market Street
Suite 900
San Francisco, CA 94103

Dear Mr. Musk:

Yesterday, a Washington Post reporter easily created a fake Twitter account in my name, and by paying $8.00 was also able to obtain Twitter’s blue checkmark, signifying that Twitter had “verified” the account was indeed that of a sitting U.S. senator. It was not. Apparently, due to Twitter’s lax verification practices and apparent need for cash, anyone could pay $8.00 and impersonate someone on your platform. Selling the truth is dangerous and unacceptable. Twitter must explain how this happened and how it will prevent it from happening again.

As the Washington Post article explains, a reporter with “a spare iPhone, a credit card and a little creativity” was able in minutes to set up an account under the Twitter handle “@realedmarkey.”1 The Post reporter was able to accomplish this impersonation despite Twitter having previously verified my actual Twitter account under the handle “@SenMarkey.” Compounding Twitter’s verification dysfunction, a pop-up stated that the fake account was verified because I was a notable person in government, not because someone had paid for the verification blue checkmark.2

Safeguards such as Twitter’s blue checkmark once allowed users to be smart, critical consumers of news and information in Twitter’s global town square. But your Twitter takeover, rapid and haphazard imposition of platform changes, removal of safeguards against disinformation, and firing of large numbers of Twitter employees have accelerated Twitter’s descent into the Wild West of social media. That is unacceptable. Twitter and its leadership have a responsibility to the public to ensure the platform doesn’t become a breeding ground for manipulation and deceit.

Notwithstanding Twitter’s terminating Twitter Blue and paid-for blue checkmark verification shortly after this and other instances of online imposters, Twitter must explain itself. Please respond to the following questions in writing by November 25, 2002:

1. What was Twitter’s process for issuing paid-for blue checkmark verification of a Twitter account? What was Twitter’s process for issuing verification of an account that is “notable in government, news, entertainment, or another designated category” on your platform? Please describe the internal steps at Twitter that were supposed to be followed for these processes.

2. How did the paid-for blue check verification process differ from the free verification process that preceded it?

3. How was the Washington Post reporter able to obtain verification of a fake Senator Ed Markey Twitter account? Specifically, did Twitter fail to follow its internal policies for paid verification, and, if so, which ones? If Twitter did follow those policies, please explain how Twitter’s system nevertheless allowed the reporter to obtain verification of the fake account.

4. Is Twitter planning to reintroduce a verification system? If so, please explain how it will work, whether it will be free or paid-for, and how it will prevent the verification of fake accounts.

Allowing an imposter to impersonate a U.S. Senator on Twitter is a serious matter that you need to address promptly. If you have any questions about this matter, please contact my Office at 202-224-2742.

Sincerely,

Edward J. Markey
United States Senator

_______________

Notes:

1 Geoffrey Fowler, We got Twitter ‘verified’ in minutes posing as a comedian and a senator, Wash. Post (Nov. 11, 20220, https://www.washingtonpost.com/technolo ... checkmark/.

2 Id.


Markey wrote to Musk after his personal account was impersonated by a reporter at the Washington Post who was looking to see how easy it was to create a fake duplicate profile

On Sunday Musk replied to Markey's earlier tweet but mocked the senator while doing so.

'Perhaps it is because your real account sounds like a parody?' Musk wrote. 'And why does your [profile photo] have a mask!?

But Markey was having none of it and fired back with a shot across the bow noting that 'one of your companies is under an FTC consent decree,' referring to Twitter and the Federal Trade Commission.

'Auto safety watchdog NHTSA is investigating another for killing people,' Markey continued, referring to Tesla and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 'And you're spending your time picking fights online. Fix your companies. Or Congress will.'

This time, Musk had no response.

Image
Elon Musk @elonmusk
Replying to @SenMarkey and @washingtonpost
Perhaps it is because your real account sounds like a parody?

Elon Musk @elonmusk
Replying to @elonmusk @SenMarkey and @washingtonpost
And why does your pp have a mask!?


Musk responded with frivolity saying: 'Perhaps it is because your real account sounds like a parody?' 'And why does your [personal photo] have a mask!?'

Image
Ed Markey
@SenMarkey
One of your companies is under an FTC consent decree. Auto safety watchdog NHTSA is investigating another for killing people. And you're spending your time picking fights online. Fix your companies. Or Congress will.
Elon Musk @elonmusk
Replying to @SenMarkey and @washingtonpost
Perhaps it is because your real account sounds like a parody?

11:16 AM Nov 13, 2022


Markey, who sits on Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, overseeing Federal Trade Commission and National Highway Traffic Safety fired back 'Fix your companies. Or Congress will.'

On Friday, Twitter suspended the ability to pay $8 a month for a blue check mark that denotes an official, verified account.

It came after the social media platform was flooded with impersonated accounts of notable people.

Musk had said the service 'needs some tweaks, but overall proceeding well'.

However, the verification system has also been exploited by fake accounts impersonating a range of different brands and people since Musk took over.

The Federal Trade Commission has warned that it's following recent developments at Twitter 'with concern' and one of the company's lawyers wrote on an internal messaging board that the social network could face billions in fines over violations of its consent decree with the US agency.

Despite the chaos, Musk wrote on Twitter that the number of active users on his platform were at an 'all time high'. 'Quite the day!' he wrote, have said before: 'Usage of Twitter continues to rise. One thing is for sure: it isn't boring!'

Image
Alejandra Caraballo
@Esqueer_
Replying to @elonmusk @SenMarkey and @washington post
I'm just spitballing here but it might not be a good idea to mock a senator with direct oversight over your companies.
ED MARKEY
UNITED STATES SENATOR FOR MASSACHUSETTS
COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
** Subcommittee on Communication, Media, and Broadband
** Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security

** Subcommittee on Oceans, Fisheries, Climate Change, and Manufacturing
** Subcommittee on Space and Science
** Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight, and Ports

11:29 AM Nov 13, 2022 Twitter for Android


Alejandra Caraballo from Harvard Law School suggested Musk should not mock a man who sits on a number of committees that have oversight of industries in which Musk operates

In another Tweet, Musk had posted: 'Please note that Twitter will do lots of dumb things in coming months. We will keep what works & change what doesn't.'

In his letter, Markey wanted information as to how the paid verification system differs from before.

Until Musk's takeover, the blue check mark was used to verify accounts of public figures and organizations - including politicians and political groups, celebrities, other public figures such as journalists, and the accounts of brands.

Image
Elon Musk
@elonmusk
Please note that Twitter will do lots of dumb things in coming months.
We will keep what works & change what doesn't.


Musk recently tweeted: 'Please note that Twitter will do lots of dumb things in coming months. We will keep what works and change what doesn't'

The Tesla CEO has controversially said he wants the blue tick to be available to all paying customers. He said opening the verification process up to more people will help democratize Twitter and cut down on the spam and bot accounts on the site.

But critics have said this opens the door to confusion, impersonation and the further spread of misinformation.

Musk tweeted late on Thursday that all parody accounts must have 'parody' in their username as an attempt to crack down on the confusion.

Several top security and privacy experts at the company have also resigned amid the controversial changes.

Musk halts Twitter's $8 a month blue check amid imposter accounts

Read Jackson Rising by @CooperationJXN @JoshuaPHIllil
The verified brand situation is getting out of control. Quick thread of twitter blue brands, and brand who might be pissed off at Elon right about now.
Lockheed Martin
@LockheedMartini
We will begin halting all weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the United States until further investigation into their record of human rights abuses. #WeAreLM
8:19 PM 11/10/22 Twitter for iPad

2. American Girl doll
American Girl
@klitklittredge
Felicity owned slaves.
9:05 PM 11/9/22 Twitter for iPhone

American Girl @klitklittredge
Replying to @klitklittredge
I'm not even lying. Look it up.

3. Roblox??
Roblox
@Roblox_US
were ading sex to roblox
9:18 AM 11/10/22 Twitter Web App

4. Classic British Petroleum
BP Global
@BPDeezNutzz
Just cause we killed the planet doesn't mean we can't miss it
2:55 PM 11/10/22 Twitter for iPhone
8:51 PM Nov 10, 2022 Twitter for iPhone

5. For purposes of this thread, and for other purposes, AIPAC is a brand
AIPAC
@AIPAC_USA
We love apartheid
8:19 PM 11/10/22 Twitter Web App

8:51 PM Nov 10, 2022 Twitter for iPhone

6. Insulin should be free!!
Eli Lilly and Company @EliLill
wait a second ... is profit motivated medicine ... bad? shit

Eli Lilly and Company Retweeted
+ @blondecity
if astrology isn't real then why are geminis like that

Eli Lilly and Company @EliLil
We are excited to announce insulin is free now.

Eli Lilly and Company
@LillyPad
Official
We apologize to those who have been served a misleading message from a fake Lilly account. Our official Twitter account is @LillyPad.
3:09 PM Nov 10, 2022 Khoros Publishing

7. Honest Chiquita
Chiquita
@Chiquita
We apologize to those who have been served a misleading message from a fake Chiquita account. We have not overthrown a government since 1954.
02:15 PM Nov 10, 2022 Twitter for iPhone

8:53 PM Nov 10, 2022

8. Naturally Tesla
Hello, I am a Musk parody Retweeted
Tesla @TeslaReal
BREAKING: A second Tesla has hit the World Trade Center

8:55 PM Nov 10, 2022 Twitter for iPhone

***

matt ratt
@MisterRatt
Twitter Blue is going about as well as everyone predicted, and it's an amazing spectacle to watch. Like a train crash filled with glitter.
Tony Blair
@MPTonyBlair
Same tbh.
twitter.com/GeorgeWBushs/s ...
George W. Bush @GeorgeWBushs
Gaming
I miss killing Iraqis :(

8:05 10 Nov 22 Tweetbot for iOS

3:07 AM Nov 10, 2022 from Broadmayne, England Twitter for Android

***

Kaz Weida
@kazweida
This account has been at it for hours and hours
The real MVP of Twitter Blue.
Tesla
@TeslaReal
We will be offering 10 thousand vehicles to support the Ukrainian military. Our cars are the most advanced explosive devices on the market.
7:18 PM 11/10/22 Twitter for iPhone

11:36 PM Nov 10, 2022 Twitter for iPhone

**

Fergal Bowers
@FergalBowers
Lots of new fake accounts popping up now. Twitter has given a blue check verified mark to Jesus Christ. Within the last hour the account tweeted TGIF
Jesus Christ
@jesus
TGIF!
15:06 11/11/2022

10:20 AM Nov 11, 2022 Twitter for iPhone

***

Clare
@Clarabelle211
Replying to @FergalBowers
It's gone now but enjoyed this one!
Nestle
@NestleDeathCult
We steal your water and sell it back to you lol
6:14 AM 11/11/22 Twitter Web App

12:45 PM Nov 11, 2022

***

indispensable
@davidchibuike_
Someone impersonated George bush and verified the account with Twitter Blue and now everything has been suspended
I miss killing Iraqis
23:30 09/11/2022

George W. Bush @GeorgeWBu...
Replying to @GeorgeWBushs
Y'all are missing the point about the $8. It's a small price to make this app completely unusable and I'm assuming he is going to quickly learn we can get refunds from the credit cards we used if he suspends us prior to a month.

George W. Bush @GeorgeWBu...
Is what I would say if I was someone other than the greatest President America has ever known.

Watcher.Guru
@WatcherGuru
JUST IN: Twitter suspends Blue subscription paid verification services, citing impersonation abuse
16:20 11/11/2022 Twitter for iPhone


TIMELINE OF BILLIONAIRE ELON MUSK'S BID TO CONTROL TWITTER

January 31: Musk starts buying shares of Twitter in near-daily installments, amassing a 5% stake in the company by mid-March.

March 26: Musk, who has 80 million Twitter followers and is active on the site, said that he is giving 'serious thought' to building an alternative to Twitter, questioning free speech on the platform and whether Twitter is undermining democracy. He also privately reaches out to Twitter board members, including his friend and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.

March 27: After privately informing them of his growing stake in the company, Musk starts conversations with Twitter's CEO and board members about potentially joining the board. Musk also mentions taking Twitter private or starting a competitor, according to later regulatory filings.

April 4: A regulatory filing reveals that Musk has rapidly become the largest shareholder of Twitter after acquiring a 9% stake, or 73.5 million shares, worth about $3 billion.

April 5: Musk is offered a seat on Twitter's board on the condition he amass no more than 14.9% of the company's stock. CEO Parag Agrawal said in a tweet that 'it became clear to us that he would bring great value to our Board.'

April 11: Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal announces Musk will not be joining the board after all.

April 14: Twitter reveals in a securities filing that Musk has offered to buy the company outright for about $44 billion.

April 15: Twitter's board unanimously adopts a 'poison pill' defense in response to Musk's proposed offer, attempting to thwart a hostile takeover.

April 21: Musk lines up $46.5 billion in financing to buy Twitter. Twitter board is under pressure to negotiate.

April 25: Musk reaches a deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion and take the company private. The outspoken billionaire has said he wanted to own and privatize Twitter because he thinks it's not living up to its potential as a platform for free speech.

April 29: Musk sells roughly $8.5 billion worth of shares in Tesla to help fund the purchase of Twitter, according to regulatory filings.

May 5: Musk strengthens his offer to buy Twitter with commitments of more than $7 billion from a diverse group of investors including Silicon Valley heavy hitters like Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison.

May 10: In a hint at how he would change Twitter, Musk says he'd reverse Twitter's ban of former President Donald Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, calling the ban a 'morally bad decision' and 'foolish in the extreme.'

May 13: Musk said that his plan to buy Twitter is ' temporarily on hold.' Musk said that he needs to pinpoint the number of spam and fake accounts on the social media platform. Shares of Twitter tumble, while shares of Tesla rebound sharply.

June 6: Musk threatens to end his $44 billion agreement to buy Twitter, accusing the company of refusing to give him information about its spam bot accounts.

July 8: Musk tells Twitter he is terminating agreement because firm wouldn't hand over information on spam bots

July 12: Twitter files suit seeking a court judgement forcing Musk to complete the merger at the agreed price

July 19: A Delaware judge says the Musk-Twitter legal dispute will go to trial in October

August 23: A former head of security at Twitter alleges the company misled regulators about its poor cybersecurity defenses and its negligence in attempting to root out fake accounts that spread misinformation. Musk eventually cites the whistleblower as a new reason to scuttle his Twitter deal

October 5: Musk offers to go through with his original proposal to buy Twitter for $44 billion. Twitter says it intends to close the transaction after receiving Musk’s offer

October 6: Delaware judge delays October 17 trial until November and gives both sides until October 28 to reach agreement to close the deal

October 20: Musk told prospective Twitter investors that he plans to lay off 75% of the company’s 7,500 employees, according to The Washington Post

Wednesday, October 26: Musk posts a video of himself entering Twitter headquarters carrying a kitchen sink, indicating that the deal is set to go through

Thursday, October 27: Musk says Twitter won’t become a 'free-for-all hellscape' in a message he sent to advertisers

*Source: Associated Press
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Re: Fake ‘Blue Check’ Twitter Accounts Flourish Under Elon M

Postby admin » Tue Nov 15, 2022 4:10 am

We got Twitter ‘verified’ in minutes posing as a comedian and a senator: Twitter has been selling blue check marks to any account for $8, including our test imposter accounts for Blaire Erskine and Sen. Ed Markey. That makes it mostly worthless.
Review by Geoffrey A. Fowler
Washington Post
Updated November 11, 2022 at 3:31 p.m. EST|Published November 11, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. EST

[x]
(Washington Post Illustration)

There are now two Blaire Erskines on Twitter. One is a popular comedian with a photo of a cat and a check mark next to her name saying she is “verified.”

The other Blaire Erskine has a photo of a cat and a check mark saying she’s “verified.” But this one is actually me.

Elon Musk’s much hyped $7.99-per-month Twitter Blue subscription service went live on Wednesday. Twitter touts its main benefit is that “your account will get a blue checkmark, just like the celebrities, companies and politicians you already follow.”

I wanted to understand what a blue check mark actually means in Musk’s new Twitter — and what we the users are getting for our money. So I asked Erskine if I could impersonate her on Twitter, and she agreed. My faux Blaire took about 15 minutes to set up with a blue check mark — and showed me Twitter “verification” doesn’t verify much of anything at all. A blue check mark no longer means somebody is who they say they are — and that makes Twitter a much less reliable source of information.

Then I did my test again with the permission of a U.S. senator, Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.). In a few minutes, I got a blue check mark on an impersonation of the lawmaker, who has for years scrutinized tech giants in the Senate.

Late Thursday, Twitter suspended the ability of new customers to sign up for Blue subscriptions to “help address impersonation issues,” according to an internal memo reviewed by The Washington Post.

Twitter has said accounts that impersonate people are not allowed and face suspension when they’re discovered. It booted comedian Kathy Griffin after she changed her Twitter screen name to Elon Musk. But there’s very little about Twitter’s new paid service that stops you from verifying a fake account. As of the time I published this column, its systems hadn’t detected these were not authentic accounts and they remained online.

On Friday, Twitter suspended the faux Markey account after the real senator sent Musk a letter asking pointed questions about the blue check mark subscription program.

[x]
Both the real Sen. Edward J. Markey Twitter account, on left, and our test impostor one, on right, have blue check marks. When you tap on the icon on the web version of Twitter, different explanations of the icon appear. (Washington Post Illustration; Twitter)

To create the accounts, I only needed three things: a spare iPhone, a credit card and a little creativity. For my faux Erskine, I set up a Twitter account that replaces the lowercase L in her first name with an uppercase I — like @bIaireerskine — which look nearly identical on Twitter’s website. For Markey, who has two legitimate Twitter accounts, I set him up as @realEdMarkey.

This matters even for non-famous Twitter users because the social network used to be a place everyone could turn for authentic information. Twitter’s legacy verification system — in which the company checked who really owned an account — was opaque and turned blue check marks into symbols of elitism in the eyes of some. But it meant when a celebrity, official or company tweeted, you knew it was probably them. That’s why Twitter became the internet’s default place to launch things and make apologies.

Twitter’s new system for granting blue check marks has begun creating chaos and undermining the truth. A fake but blue-check account for pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly got thousands of retweets for saying, “We are excited to announce insulin is free now.” (It is not.) A fake version of influential ESPN reporter Adam Schefter erroneously tweeted that the Las Vegas Raiders had a new head coach. There was a fake Donald Trump, Pope Francis, LeBron James and many more.

Twitter didn’t reply to a request for comment.

If you’re confused, I don’t blame you. So far, Twitter hasn’t informed users — other than those following Musk’s stream-of-tweet product development — that the meaning of a blue check mark has changed. That’s partly because Musk himself appears to keep changing his mind about what it means, particularly for public figures and legacy verified accounts. In a matter of days, he’s variously suggested notable and official accounts will keep their blue check marks and that they’ll be swapped for gray check marks. On Thursday morning, Musk tweeted that all legacy blue check marks will have to be removed in the months ahead because too many are “corrupt.”

There also appears to be a blue-check mark bug in Twitter’s iPhone app: On both of my test accounts, a pop-up said they were verified because they were notable people, not because I had paid for Twitter Blue.

[x]
On the Twitter app for the iPhone, the social network mistakenly labeled our impostor blue check mark accounts as being “notable” people. (Washington Post Illustration;Twitter)

This kind of chaos is par for the course at Musk’s companies, where he frequently makes pronouncements he doesn’t deliver on. But in this case, he’s messing with the very systems that our enemies use to undermine American democracy, business and life.

“As a critical 21st century communication tool and ‘global town square,’ Twitter and its leadership have a responsibility to the public to ensure the platform doesn’t become a breeding ground for manipulation and deceit,” Markey said in a statement. “Safeguards like blue check marks have provided context for users to be smart, critical consumers of news and information. Now, Elon Musk is putting truth on sale for $8.”

Why is this happening? Musk took on billions in debt to buy Twitter and needs to find a way to crank up the cash flow that he’s not getting from advertisers alone. Apparently, he thinks selling check marks is his best bet.

During a Twitter Spaces event with advertisers on Wednesday, Musk described the change as “a leveling of the playing field” and an end to Twitter’s “lords and peasants” system.

“It will be less special to have a check mark, but I think that will be a good thing. If there is impersonation or trickery or deception, we will actively be suspending accounts. I think it’s going to be a good world. I mean, don’t we believe in one person, one vote?” he said.

He continued: “This is just philosophically how I feel and maybe this is a dumb decision, but we will see.”

[x]
Our fake Twitter profile of Blaire Erskine was given a blue check mark after we subscribed to Twitter Blue. (Washington Post Illustration; Twitter)

What I see is a system that was very easy to fool. Twitter sells Blue membership through the subscription service built into its iOS software and App Store. For each account, I used an old iPhone with its own test Apple ID and my regular credit card to fund the purchase. At no point did it ask me to show some real ID, or even question why I was using a name that was identical to a legacy verified account (Erskine has more than 430,000 followers), or a high-level government official.

Those requirements didn’t stop me, but they might help address a different kind of problem Twitter faces with authenticity: lots of bots. They’re computer programs that operate thousands of Twitter accounts at a time to push spam or scams. Apple’s systems and credit card companies might be able to detect if someone tried to set up new subscriptions en masse, or at least slow it down.

If paid verification becomes a requirement for having a voice on Twitter, that introduces a new free speech challenge. Some people tweet under pseudonyms, especially in countries that don’t protect the freedom of speech. If you’re a dissident, could the paper trail it now takes to get yourself verified lead to your arrest? Privacy actually helps people feel free to speak their mind.

[x]
Here's what the Twitter app says you get after subscribing to Twitter Blue. (Washington Post Illustration; Twitter)

So is Twitter’s $8 membership fee worth it? The answer to that might change as the company experiments in public with what exactly you get.

From what I’ve seen so far, it’s mostly the equivalent of paying someone to paint a sign on your car that says, “I’m a really cool dude.”

Perhaps Musk is a business genius, and he’s figured out a way to get people to pay for online status. He’s certainly gotten lots of people to talk about it. Luxury goods businesses also sell status and can be very profitable.

Some would argue my view is shaped by the fact that as a journalist, I’ve been a verified Twitter user since I joined in 2009. I’m one of the lords, as Musk says, and I’ve not felt the sting of more than a decade of living without a check mark. But I find it hard to believe that as a mass product many people will care whether or not they have one — especially as users start to realize the blue check mark actually doesn’t mean anything.

I am not opposed to the idea of Twitter, or any social network, charging its users. I’ve written that I’d happily pay for a version of Facebook where it doesn’t gobble up personal information and share it in sketchy ways. But Twitter isn’t offering to stop gathering your data.

In addition to the blue check mark, Twitter’s subscription today comes with some abilities Twitter used to sell for $4.99 per month: editing tweets (within 30 minutes), a better news-reading experience and the option to customize your Twitter app icon. Musk has said in the future Twitter Blue might also come with half as many ads, priority placement for your tweets and the ability to upload much longer videos.

But for Twitter to be worth $96 per year after a decade and a half of being free, it’s going to need to add something of real value. So far it’s mostly just subtracted.

Said the real Erskine, who built her career on Twitter: “I’m just glad I was able to get a job from this website before ‘Saturday Night Live’ star Elon Musk set it on fire.”
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Re: Fake ‘Blue Check’ Twitter Accounts Flourish Under Elon M

Postby admin » Tue Nov 15, 2022 4:25 am

Twitter's New Paid Verified Check Causes Frenzy After Fake LeBron Trade Tweet
by TMZ.com
11/9/2022 12:30 PM PT
https://www.tmz.com/2022/11/09/twitters ... social-twa

[x]

No, LeBron James isn't demanding a trade back to Cleveland ... but a verified Twitter account pretending to be the Los Angeles Lakers star duped people into thinking so on Wednesday -- as a result of Elon Musk's $8 blue check mark rollout.

The bird app's new subscription feature already has the trolls running wild ... and King James was the first to fall victim to the antics.

An account named @kIngjamez tried to pull a quick one shortly after the verification party got started ... saying, "I am officially requesting a trade."

[x]
LeBron James
@KINGJamez

"Thank you #LakersNation for all the support through the years. Onto bigger and better things! #ThekidfromAKRON #ImComingHome."


"Thank you #LakersNation for all the support through the years. Onto bigger and better things! #ThekidfromAKRON #ImComingHome."

Of course, the REAL @kingjames' most recent tweet is an ad for a video game.

Here's the issue -- If folks didn't notice the misspelling handle or click on the check mark to read WHY the account is verified, they were led to believe #6 was going back to the 216.

Another account pretended to be ESPN insider Adam Schefter ... claiming Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels had been fired.

Elon's decision to give any Twitter Blue subscribers a blue check without any vetting had people concerned for this exact reason ... and so far, it's proven to be a massive headache for some.

The new Twitter head defended his decision ... explaining it was a way for the company to make money.

Be careful and smart out there, Twitter fam.
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Re: Fake ‘Blue Check’ Twitter Accounts Flourish Under Elon M

Postby admin » Tue Nov 15, 2022 4:55 am

Fake Trump, Bush, Tesla storm Twitter after verification dropped: Fake Twitter accounts explode across the platform after Elon Musk scraps verification policies.
by aljazeera.com
Published On 11 Nov 2022
11 Nov 2022
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/ ... n-shake-up

[x]
The flood of fake Twitter accounts is likely to exacerbate advertisers’ concerns about the future of the influential social media platform under Elon Musk [File: Olivier Douliery/AFP]

Correction: A previous version of this article said the fake Twitter accounts began springing up on Thursday, instead of Wednesday.

Fake Twitter accounts have exploded across the platform after new owner Elon Musk scrapped the site’s verification policies as trolls impersonate famous figures and companies including the billionaire’s carmaker Tesla.

The flood of impersonator accounts, including fake profiles for former United States President George W Bush and NBA star LeBron James, follows Musk’s decision to offer the platform’s blue check mark to any user for a $7.99 monthly subscription, instead of only verified accounts that are of public interest.

Shortly after Twitter rolled out the subscription service on Wednesday, a blue tick account pretending to be Bush tweeted “I miss killing Iraqis” accompanied by a sad-face emoji.

An account impersonating former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair retweeted the post, adding: “Same tbh.”

Trolls also impersonated prominent sports figures including Los Angeles Lakers forward James, with his fake profile announcing he had requested a transfer to another team.

Joon Lee
@joonlee

Following sports transactions and news could become a total mess with the new verification system

Already fake LeBron and Aroldis Chapman tweets going around
I am officially requesting a trade. Thank you #LakersNation for all the support through the years. Onto bigger and better things! #ThekidfromAKRON #ImComingHome.
1:27 PM Nov 9, 2022

New York, I'm not going anywhere! I'm happy to announce i've re-signed with the Yankees for 3 more years! #RepBx


Fake profiles also sprung up of former US President Donald Trump and Japanese computer games giant Nintendo, which posted an image of its iconic character Mario holding up his middle finger to the camera.

While the Bush, Blair, Trump, Nintendo and James accounts were later suspended, other impostor accounts remained live on Friday, including a fake Tesla profile, which tweeted the “breaking” news that a “second Tesla has hit the World Trade Center.”

Musk, who purchased Twitter last month for $44bn, wrote on Twitter late on Thursday that in the future “accounts engaged in parody must include ‘parody’ in their name, not just in bio.”

“To be more precise, accounts doing parody impersonations. Basically, tricking people is not ok,” he tweeted.

Jason Schreier
@jasonschreier
Can't imagine why all the advertisers are pulling out of Twitter lmao
Nintendo of America @nIntendoofus
[x]

3:14 PM Nov 9, 2022


The Twitter mayhem is likely to add to advertisers’ concerns about the future of the influential social media platform under Musk’s leadership.

Large advertisers including General Motors, Audi and General Mills have suspended ads on the platform as they await clarity on changes to the site’s moderation policies.

On Thursday, the United States Federal Trade Commission said it was watching Twitter with “deep concern” after a number of top privacy and compliance executives quit, raising questions about the company’s ability to comply with regulatory orders.

Under Twitter’s old verification system, famous users and accounts considered to be of public interest could apply for a checkmark to verify their identity free of charge.

Musk criticised the rules, originally introduced to prevent accounts from impersonating public figures, as a “lords and peasants system” and has cast the sweeping changes he has ushered in as a way to democratise the platform.
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Re: Fake ‘Blue Check’ Twitter Accounts Flourish Under Elon M

Postby admin » Sat Nov 19, 2022 6:36 am

Read Elon Musk’s Friday emails to Twitter engineers asking them to come to the office
by Lora Kolodny @LORAKOLODNY
CNBC
PUBLISHED FRI, NOV 18 20221:21 PM EST UPDATED 6 HOURS AGO

KEY POINTS

**The mixed messages from Twitter leadership to employees continue as Musk tells engineers to report to headquarters, hours after the company told employees the offices would be closed until Monday.

** Musk wants engineers to help him “better understand the Twitter tech stack.”

** The mixed messages on returning to the office come after a wave of Twitter employees resigned on Thursday.
In this article

After Twitter told employees it would be closing its offices until Monday, new owner and CEO Elon Musk has called engineering staff into the San Francisco headquarters office, according to internal emails obtained by CNBC.

Late Thursday, Twitter sent out a companywide email saying its offices would be closed from Friday until Monday, and badge access would cut off during that temporary closure.

Then, in a pair of widely distributed emails sent at the start of business Friday, Musk called for “anyone who actually writes software” to report to Twitter’s headquarters by Friday afternoon. First, though, he asked them to send him a high-level report of the best code they have worked on in the last six months.

After the initial call for engineers to come into the office, he also sent a follow-up encouraging people to fly to San Francisco to present in person. He said, in one of his emails, he would be working late into the night at the company’s headquarters office Friday and again on Saturday morning.

Musk said the point of sharing all this code and meeting with him in the office would be to do “short, technical interviews” that would help him “better understand the Twitter tech stack.”

Musk said those authorized to work remotely could request to speak with him by video. But quixotically he also said, “Only those who cannot get to Twitter HQ or have a family emergency are excused.”

The mixed messages on returning to the office come after a wave of Twitter employees resigned Thursday.

Their new “Chief Twit,” as Musk humorously calls himself, had issued an ultimatum a day earlier telling them they would need to commit to his vision for Twitter 2.0, and agree to work “long hours at high intensity.”

Three employees who resigned Thursday told CNBC they still had access to some internal systems at Twitter on Friday morning.

One believed that so many people from Twitter’s human resources and IT teams had resigned or been laid off that it may take a long time for the company to figure out whose access to email, Slack and other systems should be switched off.

These people asked to remain unnamed, citing fear of professional repercussions.

Here are the emails sent from Elon Musk to employees at Twitter early on Friday (transcribed by CNBC) over the first few hours of the business day in San Francisco:

From: Elon Musk

To: Team

Subj. All Software Engineers

Date: Nov. 18, 2022 [time stamp removed]

Anyone who actually writes software, please report to the 10th floor at 2 p.m. today.

Before doing so, please email me a bullet point summary of what your code commits have achieved in the past 6 months, along with up to 10 screenshots of the most salient lines of code.

Thanks,

Elon

From: Elon Musk

To: Team

Subj. All Software Engineers

Date: Nov. 18, 2022 [time stamp removed]

If you’re working remotely, please email the request below nonetheless and I will try to speak to you via video. Only those who cannot physically get to Twitter HQ or have a family emergency are excused.

These will be short, technical interviews that allow me to better understand the Twitter tech stack.

Thanks,

Elon

From: Elon Musk

To: Team at Twitter

Subj. All Software Engineers

Date: Nov. 18, 2022 [time stamp removed]

If possible, I would appreciate it if you could fly to SF to be present in person. I will be at Twitter HQ until midnight and then back again tomorrow morning.
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Re: Fake ‘Blue Check’ Twitter Accounts Flourish Under Elon M

Postby admin » Sun Nov 20, 2022 12:34 pm

As "RIP Twitter" Trends, Elon Musk Tweets Cryptic Burial Photo And Black Pirate Flag Emoji: Elon Musk: As hundreds of employees resigned over Elon Musk's ultimatum to commit to a "hardcore" work environment, questions are being raised if the micro-blogging website will be able to continue operations normally.
by Bhavya Sukheja
NDTV
Updated: November 18, 2022 3:55 pm IST

[x]
Twitter: Elon Musk said he was not super worried despite the mass resignations.

As #RIP Twitter started trending on the micro-blogging website, Elon Musk shared several cryptic posts on Friday, raising serious questions among internet users about the future of the platform.
The "Chief Twit" first shared an emoji of a black pirate flag featuring a skull and crossbones. In a follow-up post, he then posted a meme showing a burial scene, where Twitter is apparently being buried.

[x]
Elon Musk
@elonmusk
9:20 PM · Nov 17, 2022

***

[x]
Elon Musk
@elonmusk
9:23 PM · Nov 17, 2022


Notably, according to Collins Dictionary, a picture of a human skull above a pair of crossed bones warns of "death or danger".

Internet users were quick to react to Mr Musk's tweets. While some shared hilarious memes, others simply wrote, "Twitter is a dead website".

[x]
Travis Allen
@TravisAllen02
Replying to @elonmusk
Twitter is a dead website
9:24 PM · Nov 17, 2022


[x]
Aaron
@AaronSage
Replying to @elonmusk
situation is under control
9:26 PM · Nov 17, 2022


One user said, "You're hilarious. But you co-investors are not laughing". Another wrote, "A pirate without a crew is just a weird guy adrift in a boat".

"This honestly just feels like genius marketing to me ngl," commented third.

[x]
Santa Decides
@SantaDecides
Replying to @elonmusk
This honestly just feels like genius marketing to me ngl
9:44 PM · Nov 17, 2022


A fourth said, "Yeah confirmed - I heard Twitter was dead on Twitter," while another user asked, "What's your game. I'm genuinely curious why you're doing this".

Meanwhile, on a more serious note, Mr Musk had earlier hinted that Twitter would survive because the employees who have decided to stay are the "best people". Separately, he also tweeted, "Don't wanna jinx it, but there's a chance we can keep Twitter alive".

[x]
Elon Musk
@elonmusk
Replying to @bgurley and @MichaelGuimarin
Don’t wanna jinx it, but there’s a chance we can keep Twitter alive …
8:46 PM · Nov 17, 2022


However, as hundreds of employees resigned over Elon Musk's ultimatum to commit to a "hardcore" work environment or leave, questions are being raised if the micro-blogging website will be able to continue operations normally.

Ever since the tech billionaire took over Twitter last month, he has fired about 50% of the staff, scraped a work-from-home policy and imposed long hours. His attempts to revamp user verification with a controversial subscription service have also led to a slew of fake accounts and prompted major advertisers to step away from the platform.

But even amidst all this, Mr Musk continues to reiterate that Twitter has been hitting an all-time high in usag
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Re: Fake ‘Blue Check’ Twitter Accounts Flourish Under Elon M

Postby admin » Sat Dec 17, 2022 7:03 am

In Suspending Journalists on Twitter, Musk Flexes His Media Muscle: Elon Musk’s moves this week set off a heated debate about complex issues of free speech and online censorship.
by Michael M. Grynbaum
New York Times
Dec. 16, 2022

NOTICE: THIS WORK MAY BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT

YOU ARE REQUIRED TO READ THE COPYRIGHT NOTICE AT THIS LINK BEFORE YOU READ THE FOLLOWING WORK, THAT IS AVAILABLE SOLELY FOR PRIVATE STUDY, SCHOLARSHIP OR RESEARCH PURSUANT TO 17 U.S.C. SECTION 107 AND 108. IN THE EVENT THAT THE LIBRARY DETERMINES THAT UNLAWFUL COPYING OF THIS WORK HAS OCCURRED, THE LIBRARY HAS THE RIGHT TO BLOCK THE I.P. ADDRESS AT WHICH THE UNLAWFUL COPYING APPEARED TO HAVE OCCURRED. THANK YOU FOR RESPECTING THE RIGHTS OF COPYRIGHT OWNERS.


Elon Musk’s decision to abruptly suspend several journalists from Twitter sparked an outcry on Friday from First Amendment advocates, threats of sanctions from European regulators, and questions about the social media platform’s future as a gathering place for news and ideas.

But as people debated complex, novel issues of free speech and online censorship, the move also underscored the role of a simpler, more enduring element of American life: the press baron.

Hello, Citizen Musk.

As with William Randolph Hearst and Rupert Murdoch before him, Mr. Musk now controls an influential means of mass media production. Twitter, albeit a different beast from newspapers and TV networks, enticed journalists by promoting itself as a virtual town square. Now Mr. Musk, despite his stated wish “that even my worst critics remain on Twitter,” is flexing his ownership muscle in seemingly arbitrary ways, appearing to stamp out accounts that personally displease him.

The suspensions — which included reporters from CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Post — came after Mr. Musk accused the journalists of breaking Twitter’s rules on violating personal privacy. Twitter had recently shut down an account, @ElonJet, that tracked the whereabouts of Mr. Musk’s private plane using publicly available flight data, after Mr. Musk claimed that a “crazy stalker” accosted a car in which one of his sons was traveling.

Some of the reporters that had recently been suspended from Twitter had written about Twitter’s suspension of @ElonJet, an account that tracked the location of his private plane.Credit...Diggzy/Jesal, via Shutterstock

“You’re not special because you’re a journalist; you’re a citizen, so no special treatment,” Mr. Musk told reporters during a terse Twitter audio session on Thursday. He added, using a term for publishing intrusive personal information, “You doxx, you get suspended, end of story.”


But it was not obvious how the journalists suspended by Mr. Musk had violated Twitter’s policies. Some of the reporters had written about the removal of @ElonJet and other accounts that tracked private planes, or linked to those accounts; some had previously written critical stories about Mr. Musk’s stewardship of Twitter. On Friday, Twitter suspended the account of Linette Lopez, a reporter who has published investigations into Tesla, another company controlled by Mr. Musk.

As recently as last month, Mr. Musk said that @ElonJet would be allowed to remain on Twitter. He said the promise demonstrated “my commitment to free speech,” a common refrain for Mr. Musk, who has amassed millions of online fans in part by presenting himself as a First Amendment absolutist, determined to root out supposed biases on the part of Twitter’s previous management.

Journalists’ participation on Twitter, a privately controlled company, is not tantamount to free speech; reporters are free to publish their work on their own companies’ platforms and through other social media outlets.

For more than a decade, however, Twitter has occupied a unique role in the news and information ecosystem, where journalists flock to share their reporting, develop relationships with sources, and debate issues of the day. It has also allowed writers outside of established organizations to break into the political and cultural conversations.

In the wake of Mr. Musk’s suspensions, media outlets said that Twitter had acted arbitrarily in ways that may serve to intimidate journalists who report on his companies. “If confirmed as retaliation for their work, this would be a serious violation of journalists’ right to report the news without fear of reprisal,” Jodie Ginsberg, president of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said on Friday. CNN called the suspensions “impulsive and unjustified,” and The New York Times described the moves as “questionable.”

There was also backlash from lawmakers in the European Union. Vera Jourova, a vice president of the European Commission, said the move violated the E.U.’s Digital Services Act and its Media Freedom Act, which serves as a kind of rule book for moderating online content. “There are red lines. And sanctions, soon,” she tweeted on Friday.

Mr. Musk firmly rejected those criticisms. He mocked journalists for crying foul, arguing that the actions taken by Twitter under its previous owners — like the restriction of posts linking to a 2020 New York Post report about Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s son, Hunter — had amounted to censorship of conservative viewpoints.

“So inspiring to see the newfound love of freedom of speech by the press,” Mr. Musk wrote in a Twitter post, implying that the reporters upset about the suspensions did not speak out when Twitter restricted certain posts about Covid and presidential politics that the platform had deemed misinformation.

Mr. Musk also has supporters in Silicon Valley C-suites, where many tech founders and investors are watching his unorthodox management of Twitter with excitement, not disdain. These executives believe that Mr. Musk’s head-on clashes with his critics, like dissenting workers and skeptical journalists, may offer a future model for tech leaders tired of ceding power to internal and external detractors.

This week’s drama landed in a broader discussion over the role of social media platforms in deciding what ideas circulate online. Mr. Musk, who did not respond to a request for comment, is a happy warrior in that debate; it motivated his release this month of the so-called Twitter Files, a trove of internal documents that he said shed light on Twitter’s past content moderation decisions.

One of the journalists that Mr. Musk entrusted with those documents, Bari Weiss, said on Friday that she was troubled by Twitter’s decision to suspend reporters’ accounts.

“The old regime at Twitter governed by its own whims and biases and it sure looks like the new regime has the same problem,” said Ms. Weiss, a former opinion writer and editor at The Times who is the founder of an independent media site, The Free Press. “I oppose it in both cases. And I think those journalists who were reporting on a story of public importance should be reinstated.”

Mr. Musk seemed unimpressed with Ms. Weiss’s take; in a Twitter reply, he accused her of “virtue-signaling to show that you are ‘good’ in the eyes of media elite to keep one foot in both worlds.”

It was unclear if Mr. Musk might eventually reverse course and restore the accounts of the suspended journalists. On Friday, Mr. Musk asked his 121 million followers to vote on when accounts might be reinstated; as of Friday evening, nearly 60 percent of respondents had voted “now.” The counting was set to run for several more hours.

This week’s developments left some reporters, not for the first time, wondering if Twitter’s days as the media’s preferred social platform are numbered, and if journalists ought to consider alternatives.

Naturally, the discussion played out on Twitter, with Mr. Musk, as usual, a highly active participant. In a string of posts on Friday, Mr. Musk — who, like any proud press baron, keeps a close watch on his platform — cracked jokes, defended his positions, and needled his critics. He highlighted a user’s post asserting that Twitter now had “more attention, press and power than ever,” replying with an approving emoji of a bull’s-eye.

Citizen Musk appeared to be enjoying himself.

Bernhard Warner and Kate Conger contributed reporting.

Michael M. Grynbaum is a media correspondent covering the intersection of business, culture and politics. @grynbaum

A version of this article appears in print on Dec. 17, 2022, Section A, Page 1 of the New York edition with the headline: A Free-Speech Warrior Aiming to Own the Story.
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