The account mocking the congresswoman went viral after being reinstated and promoted by Musk
A verified parody account impersonating Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has gained significant attention after being reinstated on Twitter in May 2023. The account, which had previously been banned in 2019, was reactivated with the help of Twitter CEO Elon Musk, who interacted with it on the platform. The interaction caused the account to go viral, attracting an unprecedented number of followers and engagement.
The parody account was not only reinstated but also received a boost from Twitter’s algorithms. The platform ranked it first in search results when users searched for “AOC,” placing it above Ocasio-Cortez’s official Twitter account. This promotion led to a surge in visibility and public awareness, sparking further controversy and criticism.
On May 30, 2023, Ocasio-Cortez responded to the rise of the parody account by tweeting a warning to her followers. She informed them that the account was spreading false policy statements under her name. Her tweet highlighted the dangers of misinformation and the role of the platform’s algorithms in amplifying harmful content.
Ocasio-Cortez’s tweet read, “FYI there’s a fake account on here impersonating me and going viral. The Twitter CEO has engaged it, boosting visibility.” She also emphasized that the account’s claims were not representative of her actual views and that the situation was being assessed by her team. The tweet was a clear call to action for her followers to be cautious of misleading information.
Elon Musk’s engagement with the parody account raised questions about the platform’s role in moderating content. Critics argue that by interacting with the account, Musk inadvertently gave it legitimacy and further boosted its reach. Musk’s actions came amid ongoing debates about free speech, platform responsibility, and the boundaries of parody and impersonation on social media.
Despite Ocasio-Cortez’s warning, the parody account continued to gain traction. Many users, especially those critical of her political views, appeared to embrace the account’s satire and false statements. This situation exposed the challenges of managing online discourse, where satire and parody can easily blur the lines with misinformation.
As of now, Ocasio-Cortez’s team is still evaluating how to proceed with the situation. In the meantime, they have continued to remind the public to verify information before sharing or acting on it. This incident has underscored the power of social media platforms in shaping political narratives and the responsibility of both users and platform administrators to combat misinformation.
