Twitter Chief Elon Musk responded to Democrat Sen. Ed Markey’s complaints about the problem of impersonation on the social media giant now that anyone could get a blue check mark for $8 per month under its premium service, Twitter Blue.
In a letter to Musk, Markey demanded answers after a Washington Post reporter was able to impersonate him under the handle @realedmarkey, claiming the billionaire is “putting profits over people and his debt over stopping disinformation.” He demanded responses to his questions by Nov. 25, 2002 [sic].
Washington Post reporter Geoffrey Fowler impersonated Markey and comedienne Blaire Erskine to highlight Twitter Blue’s vulnerabilities, after which applications for the new service were put on hold.
In response, Musk suggested it’s because Markey’s “real account sounds like a parody.”
Perhaps it is because your real account sounds like a parody?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 13, 2022
And the senator's masked profile picture didn't help.
And why does your pp have a mask!?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 13, 2022
Musk's attitude towards Markey's angry letter prompted the far-left to issue a warning to the entrepreneur, which comes after President Biden threatened that the billionaire's relationships are "worth being looked at."
Probably not a great idea to troll a high ranking Senator with a history of taking down rich people who just so happens to sit on multiple committees which regulate your businesses the day after his party retakes the Chamber pic.twitter.com/EG3Geq8Lpp
— People for Bernie (@People4Bernie) November 13, 2022
The Twitter chief seemed unfazed.
Are you suggesting the Senator will abuse his political power to attack me?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 13, 2022
Markey didn't appreciate Musk's responses to him, however, so he then threatened Musk "fix" his companies "or Congress will."
One of your companies is under an FTC consent decree. Auto safety watchdog NHTSA is investigating another for killing people. And you’re spending your time picking fights online. Fix your companies. Or Congress will. https://t.co/lE178gPRoM
— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) November 13, 2022
100% sure
— Jim Hanson (@JimHansonDC) November 14, 2022
Congress is not empowered by the Constitution
To "fix companies"
Because their CEO mocked you Eddiehttps://t.co/Ihh87BTgyp
Dear @ElonMusk:
— 🇺🇸 Mike Davis 🇺🇸 (@mrddmia) November 14, 2022
FYI, @SenMarkey is the 76-year-old junior senator from Massachusetts.
Other than tweeting (laughable) threats, he doesn’t have the sway to do anything to you. https://t.co/44FOKPnPHS
If this isn’t a parody account, this tweet is an egregious, stunning and arrogant abuse of power. https://t.co/baaLmGBqTj
— David Limbaugh (@DavidLimbaugh) November 14, 2022