--- title: "Furious Elon Musk Pledges to Ban Anyone Who Changes Their Display Name to “Elon Musk”" description: "When it comes to making fun of the man himself, \"free speech absolutist\" and new Twitter owner Elon Musk is pro-censorship and against \"impersonation.\"" date: "2022-11-07" modified: "2022-11-07" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-bans-impersonation" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "identity theft" - "the digest" - "twitter" --- # Furious Elon Musk Pledges to Ban Anyone Who Changes Their Display Name to “Elon Musk” ![When it comes to making fun of the man himself, "free speech absolutist" and new Twitter owner Elon Musk is pro-censorship and against "impersonation."]() *\Image: PETER PARKS/AFP via Getty Images\* ## Not Owned When it comes to people making fun of him, "[free speech absolutist]()" and new Twitter owner Elon Musk seems decidedly pro-censorship. Just over a week after taking the reins of the social network and declaring that "[comedy is now legal on Twitter]()," Musk about-faced [and announced](), like the assistant principal in "The Breakfast Club," that going forward, "any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying 'parody' will be permanently suspended." The move comes after several newly-legal comedy tweeters changed their display names and photos to Musk's, and subsequently got the kibosh put on them by Twitter's new daddy. It wasn't just [small-time accounts](), either. Highfalutin stars including [Kathy Griffin]() and [Sarah Silverman]() also caught suspensions for "impersonating" the new emperor of Twitter, though the latter already has her account back. ## No Warning In the rest of [his short thread]() on the new rule, Musk outlined a vague roadmap for what impersonation suspensions would look like — but it doesn't really make sense, much like the rest of the [half-baked proposals]() he's put forth since taking ownership of the hell site. "Previously, we issued a warning before suspension, but now that we are rolling out widespread verification, there will be no warning," [he tweeted](). "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," Musk added — which, to be fair, was already a sometimes-enforced policy, as evidenced by the seemingly-permanent loss of comedian [Jaboukie Young-White's checkmark]() after [impersonating one too many rarified institutions](). While there's still some speculation about whether Musk is really going to charge people for verification, it does seem, at least, that when it comes to impersonation — and, specifically, impersonating *him* — his bark is at least as bad as his bite. **More on Musk:** [*After Saying He Wanted an Open Algorithm, Elon Musk Just Fired the Twitter Team Responsible for Doing Just That*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()