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X, formerly Twitter, has begun rolling out a "Parody account" label to differentiate parody accounts from those they impersonate.
These labels can make it clear to other users that the account isn't authentic and exists for comedic or commentary purposes. "Parody labels will be applied to both posts and accounts on X to clearly demonstrate the source of the content you’re seeing. We’ll share details soon on when the label will become mandatory for parody accounts," the X Safety account wrote Thursday evening.
X posts from parody accounts have previously confused users, who may mistake them for official statements made by the actual person or organization. News agencies have also been parodied in ways that can, intentionally or unintentionally, spread misinformation.
To avoid violating X's Authenticity Policy, users must voluntarily add a label. You can do this by going to Settings and Privacy > Your account > Account information and selecting "Parody, commentary, and fan account." Or, you can add "parody," "fake," "fan," or "commentary" to your parody account names and bios. Consequences of violating the Authenticity policy may depend on the severity of the violation and the user's history of violations, X says.
X rival Bluesky announced a similar labeling policy for parody, satire, or fan accounts in November last year. The growing Twitter alternative has also quadrupled its moderation team to take action against accounts that violate its rules.
Until Elon Musk changed Twitter's famous blue verification badge into a premium subscription with additional features, the old blue check was used to identify government accounts, companies, and public figures. Musk's new verified badges, however, have been applied to fake accounts, causing confusion among users.