X tightens the screws on parody and fan accounts

Beginning today (10 April), users on social media site X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, will need to comply with tighter rules around parody, commentary, and fan (PCF) accounts, which relates to accounts impersonating another user or person. 

According to X's safety account, 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. This means, adding words such as "parody" or "fake" at the start of their account names. 

"These requirements also apply to accounts that have the 'parody' label. We’re continuing to refine this label and will soon have more details on how it will replace these requirements," said X. 

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The platform will also require PCF account holders to use different profile images from the X accounts of the real individual that they are looking to represent. 

The changes are designed to help users better understand the unaffiliated nature of PCF accounts and reduce the risk of confusion or impersonation. "We encourage all affected accounts to update their profiles before the enforcement date," added X.

Additionally, the platform also called on other users to file reports, if they come across accounts impersonating someone or misleading users. 

According to a report by the BBC, the stricter rules also apply to fan and commentary accounts. One such example are fan and parody accounts of Musk.

The posts by Musk parody accounts on X reportedly ranged from memes and jokes to promotions of cryptocurrency and car giveaways. One of the parody accounts also had more than one million followers.

The tightened rules on PCF accounts are built on top of X's authenticity policy which was announced in January. The policy stated that accounts on X must be authentic, and users will not be allowed to create, operate or mass-register accounts that are not legitimate, genuine and transparent as to their source or identity. 

The policy outlined that such inauthentic accounts include unauthorised automated and scripted accounts, fake personas with manufactured identities, or impersonations of other identities and groups meant to deceive others. 

Within the same month, X introduced profile labels for parody accounts. The labels could be applied by navigating through the settings and privacy tab.

Meanwhile, X's new rival Bluesky also unveiled its own PCF account labels in November last year, under its impersonation policy. Bluesky said in its announcement that it quadrupled the size of its moderation team to act on impersonation reports more quickly. 

This isn't the first time that X has taken a crack at curbing and controlling parody accounts. Three years ago, Musk said in a post that the platform (then Twitter) would permanently suspend any account on social media that impersonates another account.

However, Musk also vowed to do away with the platform's blue verification badges, democratising it by making it available for purchase by anyone for US$8.

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