Changes continue for Twitter users since Elon Musk has taken the helm.
A day after he purchased the social media site, he declared “comedy is now legal on Twitter.” However, the Tesla CEO doesn’t seem to be a fan of people impersonating him on the platform.
On Monday, he announced he was cracking down on accounts that seemed to impersonate another.
“Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying ‘parody will be permanently suspended,” he tweeted. “Previously, we issued a warning before suspension, but now that we are rolling out widespread verification, there will be no warning. This will be clearly identified as a condition for signing up to Twitter Blue.”
“Any name change at all will cause temporary loss of verified checkmark,” he continued to tweet.
The announcement came around the time comedian Kathy Griffin’s account was suspended from the platform after she seemed to impersonate Musk.
Political columnist Benny Johnson tweeted that Griffin had “been permanently suspended from Twitter for impersonating @ElonMusk.” Musk responded by tweeting, “Actually, she was suspended for impersonating a comedian.”
Griffin responded hours later from her mother’s account saying, “you stole that joke, you a—–e. People have been posting that joke for hours, you hack. Look, please do a better job running this company. It used to mean something. This is KG btw.”
“Mad Men” actor Rich Sommer’s account was suspended after he copied Musk’s profile and tweeted, “Okay, time to employ plan b since they’re MAKING me keep twitter.”
Former NFL player Chris Kluwe has also been kicked off the platform for impersonating Musk. “There is nothing better than waking up and enjoying a fresh, steaming cup of my own urine,” Kluwe tweeted while poking fun at the site’s owner. “Such a tangy way to start the day, and it’s scientifically proven to help brain cells grow. If you want to be like me, drink your pee.”
Later on Monday, Weird Al Yankovic took to Twitter to point out that Daniel Radcliffe was suspended from the platform calling out that it may have gone against Musk’s rules. He tweeted, “oh no, they suspended @danielradcliffe‘s Twitter account! Wasn’t it obvious he was doing a PARODY?”
However, according to the Internet Archive, the account tied to Radcliffe’s name hasn’t been active between 2009 and 2011. In 2021, an error would appear when one would try to click on the account. On Nov. 7, the account was suspended.
The “Harry Potter” star is also famously known for not utilizing social media at all. Back in 2020, he explained on “First We Feasts’ Hot Ones” why he isn’t on Twitter.
“I would love to say there’s some sort of intellectual, well-thought-out reason for this because I considered getting a Twitter, and I 100% know that if I did, you all would be waking up to stories of like, ‘Dan Radcliffe gets into a fight with a random person on Twitter,'” he said.
Many celebrities have walked away from Twitter since Musk has been in charge. Big names like Whoopi Goldberg, Helen Hunt, Toni Braxton, Shonda Rhimes and Sara Bareilles have ditched the site.