X, formerly known as Twitter, is introducing tighter regulations on parody, fan, and commentary (PCF) accounts starting April 10. The platform, owned by tech mogul Elon Musk, is responding to growing concerns over user confusion and impersonation, particularly by accounts mimicking high-profile individuals, including Musk himself.
Under the new policy, any account impersonating another individual must clearly label itself as “fake” or “parody” at the beginning of its display name. Furthermore, such accounts will be required to use profile images that are distinctly different from the ones used by the real accounts they parody.
“These changes are designed to help users better understand the unaffiliated nature of PCF accounts and reduce the risk of confusion or impersonation,” X stated in a post over the weekend. The company has urged account holders to comply with the new guidelines before the enforcement date.
The move follows multiple complaints from users who report being misled or contacted by fake Elon Musk accounts on a regular basis. Some parody accounts, despite labelling themselves in parentheses at the end of their names, still manage to trick users—especially when the name is truncated in replies or feeds, and when the profile picture closely mimics the real person’s.
A recent example saw a Musk parody account with over one million followers falsely offering Tesla giveaways in exchange for likes and comments. The post received over 428,000 likes and 200,000 replies, underlining the viral impact of such misleading content.
X had previously introduced parody labels and adjusted its blue tick verification system to combat impersonation. However, critics, including the European Union, have questioned the effectiveness of these measures. In July 2024, the EU stated that X’s blue tick system could potentially mislead users and violate online content rules. Musk dismissed the criticism, calling the EU’s stance “misinformation.”
With these stricter rules, X hopes to strike a balance between free expression and accountability, aiming to preserve entertainment and satire while minimizing deception on the platform. Whether the changes will be effective remains to be seen.
