Elon & Twitter

[italian bread]

This is what happens when Twitter no longer verifies account identities, only verifies payment and phone numbers... and not even those for accounts which have received free checkmarks.

Twitter Gave a Fake Disney Junior Account That Uses Racial Slurs a Gold Checkmark Verification

Twitter account @DisneyJuniorUK boasted a gold verification badge on the social media site, accompanied by a message reading "This account is verified because it's an official business on Twitter." (The account was suspended in the last hour after Variety contacted Disney.)
...
In its pinned tweet, the account -- which, due to its content and follower numbers, does not appear to be an official Disney account -- has posted: "#****ThatN****Elon, #KasherQuon and #MeowskullFeetFreaks." (The original pinned tweet does not censor the racial slur.)

Gold verification badges cost $1,000 per month, although the social media company has currently waived the fee for its largest advertising clients and most-followed brands.

The owner of the @DisneyJuniorUK account appeared to be as surprised at their new verification status as the account's 2,628 followers, tweeting: "No ****ing way. This isn't actually real right. Someone ****ing pinch me or something" alongside a screenshot of the account's profile page with the gold checkmark circled.

Both the account's profile picture and banner use the same official Disney Junior logo as the real Disney account @DisneyJunior, which also has a gold checkmark.

 

[italian bread]

"I'm making Twitter equal by giving free checkmarks to the famous and/or wealthy & powerful, but everyone else needs to pay me $8 every month." says self-described egalitarian Elon Musk.

"I don't want it and never asked for it!"
"Tough luck!" replies self-described libertarian Elon Musk.

 

[italian bread]

The Lanham Act should make for interesting reading.

Twitter claims dead celebs are subscribing to Blue from beyond the grave
Some users also noted that restoring blue ticks to the accounts of dead celebrities also gives unwarranted prestige to the new paid verification system. Popular user Dril (who has been having his own battle with Twitter trying to get rid of his blue tick) noted: “its ok he fired the people in charge of telling him its illegal”
— quote-tweeting a screenshot of the Lanham Act, which forbids false endorsement of goods and services in the US.

 

[advocate8]

The media have. a few choices regarding the coverage of c list celebs losing their blue checks:

1. Don't mention the war
2. State it in passing (negatively obviously)
3. Take on Twitter and promote all the celebs that are maybe talking directly to the public and perhaps more interesting than the media

Slate went with 2. Many are going with 1. Are any going with 3?

There aren’t three choices. Just one. It’s objectively a fiasco.
Anyone who has even cut their eyes at a third-rate business school while driving past would know this.

He has tied himself up in so many knots of hypocrisy and contradiction with this it’s impossible to untangle. A Möbius strip of illogic baked into a turducken of irrationality.

 

[jabloomf1230]

There aren’t three choices. Just one. It’s objectively a fiasco.
He has tied himself up in so many knots of hypocrisy and contradiction with this it’s impossible to untangle. A Möbius strip of illogic baked into a turducken of irrationality.

It may be a fiasco but it's generating publicity for Twitter, which seems to be Elon's main goal. The site is becoming less relevant every day, not because it's getting worse, but rather because people have been looking for alternatives.

This is probably going to generate laugh emojis, but on my Pixel phone, I find myself swiping right from the main screen to read the Google news feed. The feed starts off general but you can click each feed card to tell Google whether you like the topic or not. After a few days, it produces a pretty good collection of articles and I have no need to consult Twitter at all.

 

[advocate8]

It may be a fiasco but it's generating publicity for Twitter, which seems to be Elon's main goal. The site is becoming less relevant every day, not because it's getting worse, but rather because people have been looking for alternatives.

This is probably going to generate laugh emojis, but on my Pixel phone, I find myself swiping right from the main screen to read the Google news feed. The feed starts off general but you can click each feed card to tell Google whether you like the topic or not. After a few days, it produces a pretty good collection of articles and I have no need to consult Twitter at all.

It’s far from clear Elon HAS a “main goal.” In terms of a Twitter business plan he seems like a black-out drunk staggering around in a maze, bouncing off stuff and saying “I meant to hit that!"

 

[Tiger]

The Lanham Act should make for interesting reading.

Twitter claims dead celebs are subscribing to Blue from beyond the grave
Some users also noted that restoring blue ticks to the accounts of dead celebrities also gives unwarranted prestige to the new paid verification system. Popular user Dril (who has been having his own battle with Twitter trying to get rid of his blue tick) noted: “its ok he fired the people in charge of telling him its illegal”
— quote-tweeting a screenshot of the Lanham Act, which forbids false endorsement of goods and services in the US.

Twitter can simply declare blue checkmarks free for dead celebs chosen by their "award board" and case closed.

 

[Zilla91]

100% The man has a good heart.

He's not going to shag you, mate.

 

[Knightshade]

Twitter can simply declare blue checkmarks free for dead celebs chosen by their "award board" and case closed.

The issue isn't a blue check.

It's that if you click on it it claims THAT person is paying for it and provided their phone number.

Which, they're not and they haven't. So Twitter is making literally false claims about that celeb that a reasonable person would believe.

I'm not saying the case against twitter would be a slam dunk, but I can (without offering legal advice of course) say with a fair bit of confidence a lawsuit would at least get past the pleading stage.


Or to put another way-- I can create a "Coolest people ever club" and announce I've inducted a bunch of famous people into it-- that's totally fine even if they had no idea this was happening.

I can not say I've created a "Coolest people ever club" and announce a bunch of famous people are paying to join it when they aren't-- especially when I'm offering to let other people pay me to join it too.

 

[DarkandStormy]

The issue isn't a blue check.

It's that if you click on it it claims THAT person is paying for it and provided their phone number.

Which, they're not and they haven't. So Twitter is making literally false claims about that celeb that a reasonable person would believe.

I'm not saying the case against twitter would be a slam dunk, but I can (without offering legal advice of course) say with a fair bit of confidence a lawsuit would at least get past the pleading stage.

Only Twitter can make false claims. That's free speech. Checkmate.

 

[italian bread]

It may be a fiasco but it's generating publicity for Twitter, which seems to be Elon's main goal. The site is becoming less relevant every day, not because it's getting worse, but rather because people have been looking for alternatives.

This is probably going to generate laugh emojis, but on my Pixel phone, I find myself swiping right from the main screen to read the Google news feed. The feed starts off general but you can click each feed card to tell Google whether you like the topic or not. After a few days, it produces a pretty good collection of articles and I have no need to consult Twitter at all.

I use Apple News, though I purposely haven't "liked" any articles, Apple News will take into account what I'm reading and start showing similar articles. I'm sure the same probably applies to Google. But, what I wanted to mention is that, from time to time, I will also reset my advertiser ID on my iPhone. Besides resetting what advertisers show me, it also resets what Apple News will try to curate for me. I do it so I will get to see articles that I might be missing just because I didn't read many or any of those types of articles in the past. Just my 2 cents on how I try to keep from being in an echo chamber.

 

[TSLY]

Watched Musk/Carlson interview. Musk appeared serious and informative. First time I ever watched Carlson. What a dullard, what a dud, what a dimwit, what a sniggering chubby yuppie sycophant!

Fox apparently agrees with my assessment that Tucker Carlson is a dullard, a dud, a dimwit, and a sniggering chubby yuppie sycophant!

 

[advocate8]

He's not going to shag you, mate.

If the guy’s a shareholder he already is.

 

[EVNow]

Elon's mission with Twitter is not to make money or give a platform to undeserving celebs to show us how well their latest botox went. The priorities are something like:

1. Accelerate X.com - WeChat capabilities
2. Ensure freedom of speech across the world is not lost
3. Provide a fun and educational platform that can serve as a town hall to as many people as possible. One where a kid in Africa can change the world by saying something of unique value that goes viral.

I come here for the comedic value.

Elon bought Twitter because he was very angry with his child for turning trans - which he blamed on "woke" liberals who were "suppressing free speech" on Twitter etc. In his mind if Twitter allowed anti-trans messages freely on Twitter his child would not have turned trans.

 

[Buckminster]

Fox News without Tucker - another opportunity to sweep up more eyeballs and turn them to centreville.

 

[stopcrazypp]

This is what happens when Twitter no longer verifies account identities, only verifies payment and phone numbers... and not even those for accounts which have received free checkmarks.

Twitter Gave a Fake Disney Junior Account That Uses Racial Slurs a Gold Checkmark Verification

Twitter account @DisneyJuniorUK boasted a gold verification badge on the social media site, accompanied by a message reading "This account is verified because it's an official business on Twitter." (The account was suspended in the last hour after Variety contacted Disney.)
...
In its pinned tweet, the account -- which, due to its content and follower numbers, does not appear to be an official Disney account -- has posted: "#****ThatN****Elon, #KasherQuon and #MeowskullFeetFreaks." (The original pinned tweet does not censor the racial slur.)

Gold verification badges cost $1,000 per month, although the social media company has currently waived the fee for its largest advertising clients and most-followed brands.

The owner of the @DisneyJuniorUK account appeared to be as surprised at their new verification status as the account's 2,628 followers, tweeting: "No ****ing way. This isn't actually real right. Someone ****ing pinch me or something" alongside a screenshot of the account's profile page with the gold checkmark circled.

Both the account's profile picture and banner use the same official Disney Junior logo as the real Disney account @DisneyJunior, which also has a gold checkmark.

This is a great counterargument to the point up thread someone was trying to continually make that somehow paying for the Blue checkmark protects you from impersonation. Even paying $1000 per month for the Gold one doesn't do that! This is because neither comes with any ID verification.

What it took was the media reporting the fake account to remove it, exactly as I said upthread. The checkmark itself was worthless in preventing it.

I did some searching and Twitter is handing out free blue checkmarks to even less famous Twitter users. It seems the blue check has become a mark of shame and lots of people don't want it (even free), so Twitter is forcing it on people to try to make it look more desirable than it actually is. Basically what I mentioned up thread is happening in spades, where Twitter is forced to give it out for free. It's a mess and not sure how they get out of it, as it's a negative feedback loop.

 

[EVNow]

Elon bought Twitter because he was very angry with his child for turning trans - which he blamed on "woke" liberals who were "suppressing free speech" on Twitter etc. In his mind if Twitter allowed anti-trans messages freely on Twitter his child would not have turned trans.

If anyone is wondering why I make these claims ....

Elon Musk's ex-wife is reportedly the mysterious phone contact 'TJ' who texted him about fighting 'woke-ism' at Twitter, and called the banning of a conservative satire site 'crazy'

"Can you buy Twitter and then delete it, please!?" Riley allegedly texted Elon Musk on March 24. "America is going INSANE."

www.businessinsider.com

In the texts, "TJ" called social media the "scourge of modern life" and dubbed Twitter "worst of all."​

​

"It's very easy to exploit and is being used by radicals for social engineering on a massive scale. And this *sugar* is infecting the world," the text to Musk reads. "Please do do something to fight woke-ism. I will do anything to help!"​

​

"Absolutely," Musk responded. "What we have right now is hidden corruption!"​

​

Elon Musk: Billionaire's daughter cuts ties with her father

The tech billionaire's 18-year-old daughter has applied to legally change her name and gender.

www.bbc.com

 

[sunwarriors]

Elon bought Twitter because he was forced to. If he could've backed out, he would have, but he signed paperwork that he was going to buy it without any real contingencies or more due diligence. Similar to him trying to cancel signed Solar Roof installs, companies he bought, wants to back out of contracts, etc...he was sued to buy Twitter.

If he wants to shut it down or as you claim to help TJ, he can simply shutdown the whole thing for the cheap (for him) price of $44 billion and just chalk it up to fighting woke as people claim.

There are plenty of other hate/anti-this/that group online (they're endless). Easy to point fingers/blame on 1 thing/site/Twitter. I'd guess most young folks (his daughter) aren't even on Twitter, more like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok.

 

[JRP3]

Fox News without Tucker - another opportunity to sweep up more eyeballs and turn them to centreville.

Again you show ignorance of the Fox/Tucker audience if you think they get anywhere near "centerville", but they would feel right at home on Elon's Twitter. Not that the average 60+ Fox viewer is likely to use Twitter.

 

[EVNow]

If he wants to shut it down or as you claim to help TJ, he can simply shutdown the whole thing for the cheap (for him) price of $44 billion and just chalk it up to fighting woke as people claim.

Yes - he didn't want to buy at $44B because he thought it was too expensive (the market had started collapsing by then).

All these private texts and his actions afterwards (including tweets) are obvious pointers to his motivations. You have to ignore everything he has said about trans, pronouns, "woke-ism" to claim they had nothing to do with his "free speech".