The new subscription service launched by Twitter Inc. under the ownership of its new owner Elon Musk has drawn criticism from officials from several of the world’s greatest democracies for being a haven for false information. Officials are warning of a rise in fraudulent accounts everywhere from India to Brazil and the US. Some claim the new method, in which a blue check mark can be purchased for $7.99 per month, is open to misuse.

The program, which was launched in October following Musk’s $44 billion acquisition, has already been halted after users paid to create fake identities that had confirmed blue checkmarks. The wave of accounts making fun of well-known companies like Tesla Inc., Nestle SA, and the defence contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. was the source of the most obvious misuse.

Twitter accounts with a blue checkmark imitating US leaders, such as President Joe Biden and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, also rapidly emerged. One account that the Washington Post created as part of an experiment to impersonate Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey was incorrectly categorized as verified since it belonged to a well-known official.

From his account, Markey condemned the platform updates and issued a caution about Twitter’s leadership’s duty “to ensure the platform doesn’t become a breeding ground for manipulation and deceit.

According to people familiar with the situation who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak with the press, Indian security officials, including those in charge of security in Jammu and Kashmir, are concerned Twitter handles with a blue tick could be used to spread misinformation.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s staff was worried about the rise in false information and phony accounts, according to a spokeswoman for him, even before Elon Musk bought the business.

“Twitter did little to curb disinformation, hate speech, and attacks on the democratic processes in the 2022 elections,” the spokesperson said. “It followed court rulings but continued to allow the proliferation of fake and automated accounts used by Bolsonaro’s supporters until verified accounts repeatedly published fake news. This already seemed to reflect the behavior of the platform’s team in the face of the beginning of Elon Musk’s management.”

According to the European Commission, there are currently no issues with phony accounts impersonating commissioners. But according to Europe’s executive branch, Twitter must formally pledge to uphold service integrity as a signatory to the Code of Practice. To increase initiatives aimed at reducing manipulative conduct used to propagate misinformation, such as fake accounts, the European Union’s Code of Practice for social media platforms was strengthened in 2022.

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