Beware of Fake 'Verified' Accounts: New Twitter Blue Update Leads to Influx of Impersonations, Issues

Mar. 15, 2025

Twitter logo.Photo: Chesnot/Getty Images

The new Twitter Blue update is in effect, and it’s already causing confusion on the social media platform.

Under the new system, users can pay $8 a month for a subscription that comes with the coveted blue check mark, which previously indicated a user was “verified” as authentic.

The update was implemented Thursday, two weeks after it was announced thatElon Muskhad purchased Twitter in adeal worth $44 billion.

However, some users are now utilizing the blue check mark to impersonate previously-verified users on Twitter. The users will purchase Twitter Blue, if need be, and change their username to the name of the person or entity they are attempting to imitate.

Per multiple reports, several celebrities, public figures and businesses are now being impersonated via the new Twitter Blue system including athletesLeBron JamesandO.J. Simpson, conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro, and others.

A now-suspended account impersonating former President George W. Bushposted a tweeton Thursday that said, “I miss killing Iraqis,” according to Insider and Sky News.

An account impersonating former British Prime Minister Tony Blair reportedly replied with “Same tbh.” (The Blair account also appears to have been suspended.)

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PresidentJoe Bidenhas also been subject to impersonation on Twitter. One account, which has since been suspended, reportedly posted at least one tweet suggesting the Commander in Chief was engaging in a sexual act.

Representatives for Twitter did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

But Musk seeminglybrushed off the critique, responding with a pair of sideways laughing emojis.

Verification isn’t the only issue some users have with the new Twitter Blue system. Currently, verified Twitter accounts are unable to change their username as the changes to Twitter Blue take place.

The move has already become a problem forDoja Cat, who realized early Thursday that she was unable to change her username, which she had temporarily changed to “christmas” following Halloween.

“Why can’t ichange my nameon here,” the 27-year-old singer wrote in one tweet. A few minutes later,she tweeted, “I don’t wanna be christmas forever @elonmusk please help i’ve made a mistake.”

About an hour later,Musk respondedto one of Doja Cat’s tweets to tell her the problem had been fixed.

The new Twitter Blue update was rolled out less than a week after Muskconducted a mass layoffat Twitter, with reports suggesting he planned to fire aroundhalf of Twitter’s 7,500employees to save the company money. Hours later, the company attempted to bring back some of the employees they fired, according to The Verge.

Now, employees have been informed that"remote work is no longer allowed"minus those with “specific” exceptions, and that employees must be in the office forat least 40 hours a week, according to Bloomberg and The Guardian.

Last weekend, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorseytweeted an apologyto the laid-off workers, writing, “I own the responsibility for why everyone is in this situation: I grew the company size too quickly.”

Twitter Blue reportedly isn’t the only money-making idea Musk is considering implementing on the social media platform. A source told The Verge that the Tesla CEO and one of his advisers, venture capitalist David Sacks, have discussed the idea ofa platform-wide paywallin recent meetings.

source: people.com