In the latest turn of Twitter’s blue check mark imbroglio, Elon Musk is giving the check for free to high-powered users—which could land him in legal hot water, some experts say.
In the latest turn of Twitter’s blue check mark imbroglio, Elon Musk is giving the check for free to high-powered users—which could land him in legal hot water, some experts say.
Public figures including author Stephen King and Lakers star LeBron James have tweeted about not being willing to pay the $8-a-month subscription Musk implemented for the blue check mark, yet it remains on their profiles.
Beyond angering celebs, however, Musk’s move could be flouting U.S. Federal Trade Commission regulations surrounding consumer protection and false advertising.
« If I don’t want a blue check but Elon gives me one anyway, indicating I’ve paid and endorsed his gonzo system when I haven’t, isn’t this fraud under the FTC Act? » tweeted former Labor Secretary Robert Reich on Sunday. Reich’s check mark has since been removed.
When Tesla founder and billionaire Musk bought the social media giant for $44 billion last year, he quickly launched the Twitter Blue subscription service that would grant users a blue check mark among other features such as editing tweets, fewer ads and longer tweets.
Twitter’s previous verification system, launched in 2009, was intended to prevent impersonations of high-profile accounts such as those of celebrities and politicians.
