Parody or real? X launches labels to help users spot the difference

Elon Musk-owned social network X announced it is rolling out labels for parody or satire accounts to help users differentiate them from authentic accounts. This initiative responds to concerns that users, including news presenters, have mistakenly taken posts from parody accounts as genuine statements from real individuals or entities.

The company’s safety account on the platform stated that the new labels would be visible on both accounts and individual posts. “We’re rolling out profile labels for parody accounts to clearly distinguish these types of accounts and their content on our platform. We designed these labels to increase transparency and to ensure that users are not deceived into thinking such accounts belong to the entity being parodied,” it explained in a post.

In November, app reverse engineers indicated that X was in the process of developing such labels. Currently, accounts must apply the label themselves by navigating to Settings and Privacy > Your account > Account information and selecting the “Parody, commentary and fan account” option.

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The description of the parody label outlines that “Parody, Fan, and Commentary (PCF) labels are selected by people on X to indicate that the account depicts another person, group, or organization in their profile to discuss, satirize, or share information about that entity. This label distinguishes these accounts to ensure they do not cause confusion for others or incorrectly imply any affiliation.”

X indicated that it would soon provide details about when the labels will become mandatory for parody accounts. This requirement would be crucial, as non-compliant parody accounts could perpetuate confusion for users attempting to identify authentic sources of information.

The platform’s authenticity policy specifies that impersonation of accounts is prohibited, while parody, commentary, and fan accounts are permitted if they adhere to the platform’s rules.

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