• Ar
  • Es
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Feature
  • Videos
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Feature
Videos
Infographs
In Pictures
  1. Home
  2. News
  3. US & Canada
  4. Senator gets impersonated twice, Twitter fails authentication again
US & Canada

Senator gets impersonated twice, Twitter fails authentication again

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Washington Post
  • 6 Jan 13:04

Fowler says that Twitter never asked for identification before adding the blue checkmark, but after publishing the story, the platform suspended the account.

  • US Senator Ed Markey (edmarkey.com)
    US Senator Ed Markey (edmarkey.com)

Washington Post journalist Geoffrey Fowler impersonated Massachusetts Senator Edward J. Markey on Twitter after he paid $7.99 for the per-month Blue “verification” service (but with the permission of the real Democrat Senator).

Per Fowler, Twitter never asked for identification before adding the blue checkmark, but after publishing the story, the platform suspended the account. Here's how the procedure started. 

The user needed an account opened for at least 90 days, and with one available, Fowler put the username as @SenatorEdMarkey. Fowler visited a T-Mobile cell phone service store and purchased a 1-month temporary phone number, per requirements, for $15 with no name or ID asked for. He then signed up for the Twitter Blue subscription after paying with a credit card. Not only did he use a Gmail address rather than a senate.gov address, but no form of identification was also asked for either. Seven days later, the blue checkmark appeared.

'Legacy verified'

In light of this test, the actual Senator Markey stated to Fowler that the social media platform failed a basic test. “It’s an absolute joke that Elon Musk, who prides himself on being a tech entrepreneur, can’t implement a functioning verification regime — except users aren’t laughing,” Markey said, adding: “Twitter’s current leadership has failed to safeguard the platform from misinformation, failed to provide answers to my simple questions regarding their anti-fraud protocols, and failed to demonstrate an appreciation for the role that their platform plays in our democracy,”

Read more: Elon Musk: 2022’s Twitter-gate Genius of the Year

As part of Twitter's recent updates, officials and corporations are supposed to receive a different-color verification checkmark, as opposed to the Blue one for regular users who subscribe to it. Journalism pages and businesses, such as those pertaining to The Washington Post’s account were, given a gold check mark while US President Joe Biden’s account was given a gray one.

The weird matter, however, is that Senator Markey’s real account has a blue check mark that says, “This is a legacy verified account. It may or may not be notable.” The fake one says “This account is verified because it’s subscribed to Twitter Blue.”

In December, the company's product manager, Esther Crawford, relayed that the phone verification step is a requirement for users to be given a blue checkmark in order to avoid impersonation attempts - ironically. Although Fowler provided a phone number that did not pertain to the real senator, the account was still able to pass as an impersonator. 

The Verge had reported that Musk told the platform's employees that he won't be relaunching Blue until he is "confident about significant impersonations not happening.”

In addition to requiring Blue subscribers to provide a verified phone number, Musk previously said accounts will “be manually authenticated” before the blue checkmark appears on their profiles.

As a mechanism put in place to stop misinformation, verification was free before and serves as a confirmation of validity for the accounts of users such as governments, journalists, celebrities, and sports leaders. Musk has mocked the system as being run by "lords & peasants."

Other advantages listed in the upgrade include fewer advertisements and the capacity to broadcast lengthier videos and audio messages, all of which were addressed by Musk.

  • US
  • Ed Markey
  • Elon Musk
  • Twitter
  • Massachusetts

Trending Now

All
Saudi Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal (TechCrunch)

Saudi Prince AlWaleed Bin Talal to keep shares in Musk's Twitter

Most Read

US dollar may lose status as global reserve currency: Yellen

US dollar may lose status as global reserve currency: Yellen

  • US & Canada
  • 22 Mar
Rallies held in Washington DC to protest US militarism

Peace rallies held in Washington DC to protest US militarism

  • US & Canada
  • 18 Mar
Iran–Saudi Deal: Not a Diplomatic Normalisation, But An ‘Architecture’

Iran–Saudi Deal: Not a Diplomatic Normalisation, But An ‘Architecture’

  • Analysis
  • 19 Mar
Poland

Poland may end up 'joining' Ukraine war: Polish Ambassador to France

  • Europe
  • 20 Mar

Read this

All
In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows a crater after an explosion hit a building, in Deir Ezzor, Syria, March 8, 2023 (AP)
MENA

Iranian advisor reveals how US shelled Deir Ezzor, Syria

  • Today
Crewmen enter Bradley fighting vehicles at a US military base at an undisclosed location in Northeastern Syria, on November 11, 2019 (AP)
MENA

US occupation bases under fire in Syria for second day in a row

  • 24 Mar
Muslims offer prayer on the first Friday of Ramadan outside the Dome of Rock Mosque at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Al-Qud's Old City, Friday, March 24, 2023 (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Palestine

Despite IOF restrictions, 100,000 Palestinians attend Al-Aqsa prayers

  • 24 Mar
TikTok ban in US; News worth $431bn for Alphabet, Meta and Snap
US & Canada

TikTok ban in US; News worth $431bn for Alphabet, Meta and Snap

  • 24 Mar
Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS