X introduces labels for parody accounts to avoid user confusion
What's the story
Elon Musk's social media platform, X, is rolling out labels for parody and satire accounts.
The move, announced by the X's @Safety handle, is aimed at differentiating these accounts from regular ones, so that users don't confuse satirical content for real statements.
The safety account said that these labels will be visible on both accounts and their associated posts.
User guidance
X's new feature aims to increase transparency
In a post, @Safety has clarified the purpose of these new labels.
"We're rolling out profile labels for parody accounts to clearly distinguish these types of accounts and their content on our platform," the company stated.
The goal is to "increase transparency and ensure that users are not deceived into thinking such accounts belong to the entity being parodied."
App reverse engineers first hinted at this development in November 2024.
Label application
Users can now label their parody accounts on X
Currently, it's up to users to label their accounts as parodies. They can do so by heading over to Settings and Privacy > Your account > Account information and selecting the "Parody, commentary and fan account" option.
The social network has given the following description for these labels: "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."
Upcoming enforcement
X to enforce mandatory labeling for parody accounts
Along with this, X also plans to make these labels mandatory for all parody accounts.
The company will soon provide more information on when this requirement will come into effect.
This is a crucial step as failure to comply could lead to continued confusion among users about the authenticity of information sources.