By Chris Syme,
cksyme.com
There are two sides to every coin. When I travel to train student-athletes and coaches about using social media responsibly we always talk about cyber safety, including fake Twitter accounts. Some athletes think a fake account would be a compliment and see it as a sign they are popular. That’s when I like to pull a couple horror stories out of my hat of athletes that have been victims of account impersonation. Many don’t realize the possible ramifications of social media identity theft. It can make a life miserable if it isn't stopped.
Recently, University of Oregon senior associate athletic director Craig Pintens
reported that their department regularly searches for fake accounts using names of their athletes. Pintens said the department takes these breaches seriously, and often fans will alert them to the fake accounts. The department works with Twitter to get the accounts removed.
I encourage athletes and coaches to Google their names and search Twitter for likenesses of their names on a regular basis. Twitter did not always have a simple process for reporting account impersonations. But since they limited the privilege of verified accounts, there is an easy and streamlined process for reporting a fake Twitter account. The process is the same for personal or department accounts. Here’s a step-by-step process of how to report a fake Twitter account:
1. Always take a screenshot. When you come across a fake account using your name, take a screenshot and save to make sure you have a personal record.
2. Go to your Twitter profile pull down menu. Click on the help setting.
3. Once on the help screen, scroll down to “Policies and Violations.” In this section, click on the menu item, “How to report violations.”
4. Once you click through to this page, make sure you read the short paragraph at the top of the page. In order to expedite your request, you will have to fill out a report, provide verification of who you are, and grant Twitter permission to use your information when contacting the third party violator. I would also recommend clicking the link to read Twitter’s impersonation policy so you understand exactly what Twitter considers a violation. Twitter users are allowed to create fan, parody, and commentary accounts. They probably will not remove an account that clearly states it is not the real person. They are looking for true impersonation accounts, as their site states here:
Impersonation is a violation of the
Twitter Rules. Twitter accounts portraying another person in a confusing or deceptive manner may be permanently suspended under the Twitter Impersonation Policy.
5. Fill out the Twitter form. If you do intend to report an impersonation, Twitter will require a few pieces of information in addition to filling out the form:
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A copy of your government-issued ID (individuals)
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Your company website (brands)
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Your email address (please provide your company email address if reporting brand impersonation)
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If you are not the individual or brand owner, you will be required to provide documentary evidence that you have authority to act on the person or brand owner's behalf (i.e., agent's agreement, power of attorney, etc.) via fax.
Note: If you are reporting the violation on behalf of another, for instance a student-athlete, you will have to provide information that proves you are representing the other person. Pintens said he has been established as a UO student-athlete representative by Twitter. He had to provide a copy of his business card and driver's license when he first began working with Twitter on this issue four years ago. When he submits a request now, Twitter asks for a previous case precedence which expedites his request.
6. Click on the link to report a violation. Once you have all the information gathered, fill out the form and submit. Twitter is much more in tune to these reports than in the past and they are usually pretty prompt about getting back to you initially.
7. FYI: You can use the same process for reporting a trademark or logo violation. I have also worked with brands that have had their logo hijacked by pranksters. Twitter is also very responsive to these requests, provided your logo is trademarked. If you have not trademarked you logo, it is a
simple process to do on a legal website such as Legal Zoom and costs less than $200. I always recommend that athletic departments trademark their logos.
Impersonation accounts can cause havoc and damage a reputation you’ve worked hard to build. It is the social media equivalent of identity theft. With all the misbehavior on social media these days, the public may not be able to tell the difference between a fake account and a real one. Be proactive in protecting your brand online and those of your student-athletes and coaches.