Twitter suspends users for imitating Elon Musk in early test of his free speech stance
Twitter suspended Kathy Griffin and Ethan Klein after they impersonated Elon Musk on the social media platform.
Imitation is said to be the sincerest form of flattery — although Twitter owner Elon Musk may not see it that way.
The comedian Kathy Griffin, YouTube personality Ethan Klein and "Mad Men" actor Rich Sommer each say their Twitter accounts were suspended over the weekend after they impersonated Musk, changing their display names and profile photos to match those of the billionaire.
The decisions to lock all three out of their Twitter accounts come as Musk, a self-proclaimed "free speech absolutist," draws intense scrutiny for how he handles speech issues on the platform. He has pledged to make the service a destination for accurate information, but has also suggested he may loosen the platform's rules.
Musk has also said the company is planning major changes to Twitter’s verification system, opening it up to anyone willing to pay a monthly fee. That idea has caused some concern about security, safety and impersonation on the platform, which appears to be a primary motivating factor for the wave of people suddenly imitating Musk on Twitter.
Inside growing chaos at Twitter in the wake of Elon Musk takeoverNov. 7, 202202:45Musk’s team on Friday laid off roughly half the workforce in a bid to cut costs, rattling veteran employees and riveting much of Silicon Valley. The changes to the platform, combined with the reduction of Twitter's workforce, left some people worried that the service will have trouble enforcing its rules against misinformation and impersonation.
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