Despite being a mockery and fake account, the "parody" Doug Ford account has been given a blue checkmark of authenticity.
The real Ontario's premier, Doug Ford, has an official Twitter account with the username @fordnation. He is a politician and businessman based in Canada.
Elon Musk's Takeover
Global News reported that after billionaire Elon Musk acquired control of Twitter, a number of accounts, including the one with the username @DougFord_ON, were verified via a purchase.
According to Musk's new policy, verification may be purchased at a price of $8 each month.
Experts are worried that if the verification mark is made accessible to anybody for a price, it may be used for fraudulent activities. Eventually, it may result in the dissemination of false information and hate speech.
According to Global News, since the spoof account targeting Ontario's premier is part of the platform's premium "Twitter Blue" service, its verification status is immediately evident.
Musk's Rule for Parody Accounts
Chief Twit Musk warned on Thursday night, Nov. 11, that any parody account must mention the word "parody" in their username and not just simply in their bio.
He specifically called out accounts that engage in mock impersonations to do it. Because basically, according to him, "Tricking people is not [okay]."
To be more precise, accounts doing parody impersonations. Basically, tricking people is not ok.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 11, 2022
Nevertheless, as of early Friday, the account @DougFord_ON does not have the word "parody" in its name and is still working. Although, the bio did specify that the account was satirical.
The bio stated, "This is a parody account. I don't know what that word means but I do know that I am the Premier of Ontario," it read."
Notably, the account has the same picture that Ontario's premier uses for his official account.
More Fake Accounts
The blue check verification system has been in use on the platform since 2009, and it was developed specifically to guarantee that high-profile and public-facing accounts are indeed managed by the individuals they claim to be.
This blue tick service was previously only available to content creators, media outlets, government officials, and other entities or individuals of public interest, but Musk recently announced a price increase.
Some Twitter users found this opportunity to fool others who are fans of the same businesses or celebrities as them.
Some questionable identities have been impersonating influencers and artists, as reported by Business Insider. These accounts include Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Second Check: New "Official" Label
On Tuesday, Twitter announced that it would verify some popular accounts by adding a gray "official" designation to their profiles.
The "official" labels are being rolled out now as part of Twitter's Blue membership offerings. It will correctly identify whether one account is authentic or not.
Reportedly, this change was made to provide priority to government authorities and business companies.
Unfortunately, @fordnation still does not have the second check as of Friday morning.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Trisha Kae Andrada
