Valerie Bertinelli poses as Elon Musk on Twitter to show the flaws in its new verification system.
After changing his display name, he posted dozens of tweets in support of Democratic candidates.
Actor Valerie Bertinelli impersonated Elon Musk on Twitter this weekend, posting and retweeting in support of Democratic candidates under the guise of talking about his new proposed verification system.
Bertinelli first changed his name on Saturday, shortly after Twitter rolled out the billionaire’s controversial paid-verification system that requires users to spend $7.99 a month to get a blue checkmark.
Critics have expressed concern that the plan could encourage the spread of misinformation by paving the way for impersonators acting as notable politicians, journalists and celebrities.
Since Musk took over, several celebrities including Shonda Rhimes and Sara Bareilles have expressed plans to leave Twitter, citing concerns about its leadership.
“The blue checkmark simply means your identity has been verified,” Bertinelli wrote on Twitter after changing his name.
“Scammers will have a harder time impersonating you. This no longer applies. Good luck!”
Over the next several hours, the actor posted and retweeted dozens of tweets in support of Democratic candidates ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections.
As “Elon Musk”, he posted hashtags such as #VoteBlueToProtectYourRights and shared tweets supporting gubernatorial candidates Gretchen Whitmore in Michigan and Beto O’Rourke in Texas.
As other users pointed out, several tweets on their feeds appeared as if Musk had actually retweeted them.
The actress, who recently made headlines after Matthew Perry claimed in his memoir, said on Twitter on Sunday that the two kissed while her then-husband Eddie Van Halen passed out in a drunken state. Gone. but technology has started
As her pranks escalated, she opted to change her display name back, writing on Sunday: “Ok-Doc I’ve had my fun and I think I’ve had my say I’m just a ‘trending’ kind of I am a man