X, formerly known as Twitter, will enforce new restrictions for parody and impersonation accounts starting April 10. The new rules require all impersonation accounts that represent public figures or individuals to start their names with “fake” or “parody” text. The accounts that mimic others need to use unique profile images that differ from their original subjects.
X announced this update because users had been increasingly confused by parody accounts that imitated X owner Elon Musk. The statement from X explained that this change will help users recognize the independent nature of PCF accounts while preventing confusion about impersonation. All affected users need to update their profiles before the upcoming deadline, according to the platform.
The changes will affect both commentary and fan accounts alongside their respective profiles. The placement of “parody” as a long name extension at the end proves ineffective for disclaimer purposes because users only see truncated versions in their replies and feeds.
The Musk impersonators post various content on X, including humorous memes and deceptive giveaway announcements, which recently included a viral post offering a Tesla prize in exchange for likes and comments. The post received 428,000 likes and 200,000 replies, which demonstrate how easily users could be taken advantage of.
The January release of X’s parody labels remains active while the blue tick verification system functions to prevent misinformation spread. These protective measures have faced doubts regarding their operational effectiveness. In July 2024, the European Union expressed concerns about X’s blue tick verification system because it could potentially mislead users, but Musk rejected this claim as false information.
Since purchasing X in November 2022, Musk has made repeated statements that impersonation without proper identification will lead to account suspension. With these new rules, the platform hopes to better balance free expression and user clarity.
