US Senator Calls For New Big Tech Laws After Musk Twitter Buy

Weeks after he was impersonated on Twitter and then mocked by Elon Musk, its CEO, Sen. Ed Markey is now calling on Congress to pass new legislation to regulate Big Tech and protect online users.

“Elon Musk could respond to my tweets but failed to respond to my letter by yesterday’s deadline and answer basic questions about Twitter verification,” Markey tweeted Saturday. “Congress must end the era of failed Big Tech self-regulation and pass laws that put user safety over the whims of billionaires.”

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Markey initially requested Musk to answer a series of questions about how to safeguard the accuracy of Twitter’s verification process and how to stop fake accounts from getting verified. Answers to these questions were due Nov. 25, which Markey said went unanswered.

In its reporting, Engadget suggested that Musk appeared to have answered one of Markey’s questions about the verification system. On Nov. 25, Musk tweeted that “Verified” is expected to tentatively launch on Friday, Dec. 2.

“Gold check for companies, grey check for government, blue for individuals (celebrity or not), and all verified accounts will be manually authenticated before check activates,” he said. “Painful, but necessary.”