Elon Musk-owned social media company X announced Monday it will implement new regulations targeting parody, fan, and commentary accounts starting April 10, BBC reported.
Under the updated policy, any account impersonating another person or entity must include the terms “fake” or “parody” at the beginning of its account name. Additionally, these accounts must use profile images that differ from those of the individuals or organisations they imitate.
The platform said the new measures are designed “to help users better understand the unaffiliated nature of PCF accounts and reduce the risk of confusion or impersonation.” X urged impacted users to update their accounts before the enforcement date.
The move follows ongoing complaints from users, particularly concerning impersonations of X owner Elon Musk. “Hopefully, this includes all the thousands of fake variations of Elon Musk accounts,” one user responded. Another added, “About time, I get a fake Elon account contacting me almost once a week.”
Numerous parody accounts mimicking Elon Musk are active on the platform, using a variety of comedic and promotional tactics. The BBC noted that some of these accounts post memes or promote giveaways.
One such account, with over a million followers, recently told users to “like and comment” to win a Tesla, garnering 428,000 likes and more than 200,000 replies.
X previously introduced parody account labels in January, building on existing rules requiring impersonators to disclose their entertainment intent. These were meant to work alongside the blue tick verification system to prevent confusion.
However, critics and regulators have questioned their effectiveness. In July 2024, the EU said verified blue tick accounts on X could “deceive” users, potentially violating content laws. Musk responded by calling the EU’s stance “misinformation.”
Following his 2022 takeover, Musk declared that unlabeled impersonation would lead to account bans. Many parody accounts currently place “parody” in brackets at the end of their usernames.
But if the name is long and appears shortened in replies or feeds—especially with identical profile photos—users may still be misled.