- Turmoil at Twitter HQ continues as the social media company pauses its new $8 per month verified account program. The shutdown of Twitter's newest feature came just days after its rollout as internet trolls used accounts to impersonate celebrities, politicians, and businesses. Twitter was acquired in late October by billionaire Elon Musk and has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons ever since. Many advertisers are pulling away from the social media platform due to uncertainty and recent antics like this latest one happening on the site.
- Internet trolls that paid for their $8 per month verified blue checkmark accounts began impersonating people and corporations like former president George W. Bush, game company Nintendo, and Nestle.
- Pharmaceutical Giant Eli Lilly was hit particularly hard by troll accounts when an account impersonating the corporation tweeted, "We are excited to announce that insulin is free now." The official Eli Lilly Twitter account sent out a tweet refuting the claim made by the impersonator two hours later, but by then the damage had been done. The company is now in the spotlight for its insulting prices that are much higher than insulin prices in other nations. Eli Lilly's stock took a 4.5% dive the following day.