To address the rising issue of users impersonating well-known companies, Twitter Inc. discontinued the $8 subscription programme it introduced earlier this week. However, despite this action, phoney accounts continue to exist and remain a source of problems for brands.
Recently, a fake Twitter account impersonating the soft drink brand Pepsi tweeted that "Coke is better." The post perplexed internet users because this tweet was posted by a verified Twitter account. However, a closer examination of the handle reveals that PEPICO, not Pepsi, is the account's legitimate owner. The phoney account has been shut down.
Here are a few instances of how these fake identities misused the subscription service and threw the microblogging website into chaos.
Well, Twitter blue was beautiful while it lasted pic.twitter.com/YMi7ldN1YA
— Read Jackson Rising by @CooperationJXN (@JoshuaPHilll) November 11, 2022
Great work today guys pic.twitter.com/Q15Hkkf7KB
— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) November 11, 2022
However, because the issue is still present, the company has taken the most drastic measure to address it: account suspension. The @PEPICO account has been suspended, and moving forward, any other handles impersonating companies, political parties, or figures will be restricted.
