In a recent verification misstep, Twitter granted a gold checkmark to a fake Disney account, causing confusion and raising questions about the platform’s verification process. The gold checkmark, part of the Blue for Business offering, signifies that an account is affiliated with a recognised company.
Twitter mistakenly gave the gold checkmark to the now-suspended @DisneyJuniorUK account. Observers, including Verity, noted that the account’s follower count and content did not align with Disney’s official brand. The fake account also posted racial slurs in its tweets.
Upon receiving the gold checkmark, the account tweeted, “this isn’t actually real right? someone [expletive] pinch me or something.” As a result of the verification, the account’s followers grew from approximately 1,400 to over 4,700, highlighting the potential visibility boost provided by verified organisational accounts.
According to Twitter, Verified Organization subscription comes with a non-refundable $1,000 fee and an additional $50 charge for each affiliate account. It remains unclear whether Disney requested this rogue account to be affiliated, or if Twitter granted the checkmark without proper review.
In the past week, Twitter removed legacy checkmarks from notable accounts such as Pope Francis, Shakira, and Beyoncé. Over the weekend, however, the platform reinstated checkmarks for accounts with more than 1 million followers, even if they had not paid for the service.
Last year, Twitter launched paid verification under the leadership of Elon Musk, but the initiative lacked protection against impersonation. Consequently, fake celebrity and brand accounts emerged, spreading misinformation within minutes.
This latest verification blunder involving the fake Disney account highlights potential gaps in Twitter’s verification process. As the platform continues to implement new features and offerings, it must ensure that its verification process remains robust and reliable to avoid similar incidents in the future.
