Jokes aside: X will begin to explicitly flag parody accounts

The team behind social network X said it will begin using tags for parody or satirical accounts to distinguish them from other accounts. The decision comes as users, including news anchors, have in the past mistook posts from parody accounts as genuine statements from real people or officials.

Image source: X

«We are implementing profile tags for parody accounts to clearly differentiate these types of accounts and their content on our platform. “We developed these tags to increase transparency and to ensure that users are not fooled into thinking such accounts belong to the person being parodied,” the post said.

At the moment, account owners must add the tag themselves to avoid confusion on the part of other users. This can be done by going to Settings & Privacy → Your Account → Account Information and selecting the Parody, Comment and Fan Account option.

«The Parody, Fan, and Comment (PCF) tags are chosen by people on X to indicate that an account is portraying another person, group, or organization on its profile to discuss, ridicule, or spread information about that entity. This label differentiates these accounts to ensure they do not cause confusion among others or inappropriately imply any affiliation,” the parody label’s description states.

The platform team added that they will soon share details about when the mentioned tags will become mandatory for parody accounts. X’s Authenticity Policy notes that impersonation of other users is not permitted, and that parody, commentary, and fan accounts can be registered as long as they comply with the platform’s rules.