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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took to Twitter on Tuesday to warn her followers about a parody account that was gaining popularity, especially after her rival Elon Musk engaged with it. The Bronx and Queens Democrat expressed her concern after Musk responded with a flames emoji to a tweet from the fake AOC account, which jokingly claimed to have a crush on him, the New York Post shares.
In her tweet, Ocasio-Cortez revealed the existence of the fake account and pointed out that Elon Musk's engagement with it was boosting its visibility. She also mentioned that the account was spreading false policy statements, causing confusion among her supporters. Ocasio-Cortez stated that she was assessing the situation with her team to determine the best course of action.
The parody account, labeled “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Press Release (parody),” quickly responded with its signature snark, mocking Ocasio-Cortez's serious reaction. It sarcastically suggested that she would push Congress to make it illegal to joke or make fun of her.
By mid-afternoon, the fake account had amassed around 110,000 followers, a fraction of the real AOC's 13.4 million followers. Twitter's guidelines allow for the creation of mock accounts as long as they clearly distinguish themselves in their account name and bio.
This incident comes after a previous clash between Ocasio-Cortez and Musk when Twitter removed blue verification ticks from certain accounts. Ocasio-Cortez criticized the move, raising concerns about the potential harm it could cause.
The engagement of high-profile figures like Elon Musk with parody accounts can amplify their visibility and influence. Ocasio-Cortez's warning serves as a reminder to be cautious about the information seen on social media platforms and to verify the authenticity of accounts before drawing conclusions.
