It’s a dangerous time to be a sports fan on Twitter.
Amid changes to the site’s user verification process, it’s easier than ever for imposter accounts to fool people with fake news.
Under the new process, most Twitter users will have the opportunity to pay $7.99 per month for the checkmark that was once only available to genuinely famous or otherwise influential figures. The shift makes it easier for comedians and others to trick readers into thinking they’re actually the politician, religious leader or sports reporter they’re pretending to be.
Already, user @AdamSchefterNOT racked up hundreds of retweets and likes Wednesday with a tweet claiming that Las Vegas Raiders coach Josh McDaniels had been fired before Twitter suspended the account.
Other jokesters found success impersonating NBA, MLB and NHL players.
“If Twitter is to be believed, LeBron James wants to leave the Los Angeles Lakers, ... Aroldis Chapman is sticking with the New York Yankees and Connor McDavid has been traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the New York Islanders. Narrator: Twitter is not to be believed — even more so than usual,” The Associated Press reported.
In the wake of these tweets and others, Twitter has cracked down on parody accounts and adjusted the rules for its new paid verification process. On Friday, the site reportedly put the $7.99 per month subscription option on hold.
“Twitter accounts created on or after November 9, 2022, will be unable to subscribe to Twitter Blue at this time,” Twitter’s Help Center page for the service explains.
The site has also been experimenting with an “Official” label that appears under the username of independently verified accounts.
But reporters who have been following the Twitter chaos closely are skeptical that new owner Elon Musk will be able to get the site under control in the near future. Some advertisers have already distanced themselves from Twitter due to concerns that their post with appear next to a harmful account, according to The Associated Press.
“Many advertisers have pulled out or paused over fears their brands could show up next to hate speech or misinformation,” the article said.
So what are sports fans to do in the Wild West that is Musk’s Twitter?
- For one, they can subscribe to alerts from their favorite athletes or sports reporters to ensure they’ll be notified anytime the real person sends a tweet.
- For another, they can read user names closely, since most parody accounts have an obviously misspelled handle or involve the word “not.”
- Finally, sports fans can commit to smiling rather than screaming if and when they do get tricked. Getting confused about whether a player has been traded or is injured is not a matter of life or death.