![A tweet thread by English actor Robert Kazinsky on the importance of verified accounts in protecting children. [CW: missing child]](https://i.imgur.com/Xyzkcid.jpg){kind=link}
The layout was fubar so I had to create paragraphs, fix capitalization problems, etc.
Years ago, before verified accounts were a thing, back when I was on Eastenders, I was contacted multiple times by parents of children who had been "conversing" with me online. 11-15 year old children that had been talking with a fake me. I was informed one of these children went missing.
I didn't have social media at the time, I didn't understand it. It's a horror show, for years people pushed for some way, to root out the fakes. There was a phase, if you remember, of people posting images of themselves with their URL. I did that on every site I could find, Facebook, myspace, Bebo, anything. I felt powerless to stop people using my name and face to scam or groom people. That's why verification came to be. Because it was important to protect people.
It wasn't for clout, or for leveraging money from a platform. It was to protect people from utter scumbags. I think that perhaps, in this age of social media, there are some CEO's who may have forgotten the importance of protecting people, of having trustworthy sources. I don't tweet much, I am scared of the internet, I struggle with a lot of things in life. But this account exists so that fake accounts can't.
If @elonmusk removes that simple ability to protect people, to protect children with verification then this company is dead in the water. I don't know if it's been expressed to him, I doubt he will see this thread. But I hope someone is explaining to @elonmusk the actual dangers to children and the vulnerable and why removing that protection, is an action that will lead directly to a child being endangered.
Verification is a public service, it is a good deed performed by companies who contribute very little good to the world in my opinion. We should be making easier clearer paths to verification for everyone, not making it harder. It is their responsibility, not a business model.
I am very dissapointed in this thread. So many unable to see past their dislike of some celebs to recognize an obvious cybersecurity threat that causes real harm. I don't know who this person is and if they suck or not but they are correct about the true purpose of bluecheck marks as I called out a few days ago. Libs will build a clout class system on top of any feature that doesn't mean we need to throw out the baby with the bath water.
Me too. I was dismayed by the comments but I kept my mouth shut because I've been argumentative and I didn't want to seem like I was somehow supporting Musk.
The bluecheck is the mark of modern aristocracy. It can and has been used to un-verify people for political reasons.
Why can't I have a bluecheck? I am who I say I am. You're telling me these rich fucks don't have $8/month? Sure they do.
This makes sense. I guess it goes to show how social media warps something that should be useful into some weird symbol sought after by clout chasers.