Elon Musk’s Paid Blue Check Scheme Inevitably Verified Fake Celebrity Twitter Accounts
Among them, a fake LeBron James and a fake Rudy Giuliani, as well as a faked version of internet investor Jason Calacanis. But perhaps he’ll listen to celebrities like fake LeBron James and fake Rudy Giuliani.
On Wednesday, Twitter did the initial roll out of “ Twitter Blue,” the $8 a month subscription plan that lets anyone receive a blue checkmark next to their name.The thing is, the blue check that has, until now, merely indicated the account is verified — meaning the person is who they say they are, something Elon Musk has repeatedly refused to understand. And well, clearly the new service does not verify anything other than credit card information . Because, as pretty much everyone predicted, Twitter was soon home to a lot of hilariously obvious fake celebrity accounts that had inexplicably received blue checks .Among them, a fake LeBron James and a fake Rudy Giuliani , as well as a faked version of internet investor Jason Calacanis .
The fake Rudy account was fairly obviously a joke.
The fake LeBron account however played things straight and even managed to freak people out with a fake announcement he wants to be traded by the Los Angeles Lakers.
The fake Calcanis account also made a bit more of an effort to seem real in service to disparaging him.
Both the fake LeBron and the fake Rudy accounts were eventually suspended. But it doesn’t bode well at all for Elon Musk ’s latest half-thought-out idea that it immediately produced the result critics warned him about.People have been trying in vain to explain to Elon Musk ever since he bought Twitter – for, hilariously, far too much money – why his plans to replace Twitter ’s verification system with a subscription service will backfire. But perhaps he’ll listen to celebrities like fake LeBron James and fake Rudy Giuliani .
