U.S. Sen. Ed Markey is having a Twitter beef with Elon Musk after a reporter was capable of create a verified account that impersonated the Massachusetts senator, warning the “Chief Twit” that Congress will repair his firms if the billionaire doesn’t.
After Markey wrote a letter to the brand new Twitter CEO in regards to the social media platform’s shaky blue checkmark verification course of, Musk on Sunday jabbed again on the progressive senator.
“Perhaps it is because your real account sounds like a parody?” Musk tweeted in response to Markey’s flagging of a Washington Post reporter’s simply created a faux Twitter account within the senator’s title.
Musk additionally lit into Markey for his Twitter profile image, writing, “And why does your pp have a mask!?”
Markey in response blasted the Twitter CEO, who additionally runs Tesla and SpaceX.
“One of your companies is under an FTC consent decree,” Markey tweeted to Musk. “Auto safety watchdog NHTSA is investigating another for killing people. And you’re spending your time picking fights online. Fix your companies. Or Congress will.”
The billionaire has been underneath hearth as he launched a brand new blue checkmark verification course of for the social media website. Many faux model accounts have been created, and now Markey is the most recent instance of a faux authorities account.
The Bay State senator on Friday wrote a letter to Musk, asking how this occurred and what Twitter is doing to stop it from taking place once more.
“Apparently, due to Twitter’s lax verification practices and apparent need for cash, anyone could pay $8.00 and impersonate someone on your platform,” Markey wrote. “Selling the truth is dangerous and unacceptable.”
“As the Washington Post article explains, a reporter with ‘a spare iPhone, a credit card and a little creativity’ was able in minutes to set up an account under the Twitter handle ‘@realedmarkey,’ ” the senator later added. “The Post reporter was able to accomplish this impersonation despite Twitter having previously verified my actual Twitter account under the handle ‘@SenMarkey.’ ”
After the deluge of on-line imposters and faux accounts, Musk ended up terminating the paid-for blue checkmark verification course of.
The Twitter CEO fired hundreds of staff following his current takeover.
“Twitter and its leadership have a responsibility to the public to ensure the platform doesn’t become a breeding ground for manipulation and deceit,” Markey wrote within the letter.
The senator added, “Allowing an imposter to impersonate a U.S. Senator on Twitter is a serious matter that you need to address promptly.”
Musk final week admitted that Twitter chapter is feasible.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”