April 20th of this year turned out to be a big day for Twitter users, as Elon Musk’s plan to remove blue ticks from all accounts not subscribed to Twitter Blue was implemented. However, some famous faces like Stephen King and LeBron James have kept their checkmarks even though they claim they didn’t pay for Twitter Blue.
Later it turned out that Musk himself paid for the subscriptions of some famous faces. However, it seems that this endorsement could be considered illegal, as he recently indicated Wired reportwhich alleges that Twitter may be violating US federal laws prohibiting or endorsing false advertising.
Some believe that this case can be taken to court. Catalina Guanta, Assistant Professor of Law, Economics and Governance at the Faculty of Law of Utrecht University stated: “What Musk is doing by paying certain celebrities to maintain a blue tick may be considered an unfair or deceptive practice because it creates an impression on the public — including consumers — that those particular celebrities endorse Twitter’s business models.” Only LeBron James or William Shatner may use their public personas and images.”
The decision may also have exposed Twitter to legal action from regulators around the world, as the US, EU and UK have rules prohibiting unfair and deceptive practices that manipulate consumers.
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