State of Illinois creating a Twitter verification system

 This Block Club Chicago article by Melissa Espana shows how fake Twitter accounts are a problem for government, spreading false information. Since Elon Musk has demand money to verify accounts, Twitter has become a more fertile medium for pranksters and fraudsters.

I would like the Illinois General Assembly to introduce and eventually pass a bill that creates a website for the State of Illinois to verify users on Twitter and other platforms where verification is not done or done poorly.

The State of Illinois shall create a website that allows people and others (including units of government, government agencies & departments, corporations, religious institutions, etc) to verify their identity for a fee and receive a short URL that points back to a website that links the Twitter account (or other account) with the real world person or entity.

I believe this most naturally fits under the Treasurer in State of Illinois government. But if someone more knowledgeable than me believes it belongs someplace else, I'm OK with it landing anywhere reasonable.

This is designed to be revenue positive for the State of Illinois with private entities paying enough so that Illinois can provide the service for free to government entities. Since Twitter is charging $96/year for verification, I believe Illinois has room to charge less and still bring in more revenue than the program costs to administer. If it's a successful program, Illinois might offer the service to "out of state" entities.

I do want the bill passed into law. I feel like part of the problem with US politics is that it does so little positive that the feeling nothing good gets done has become a weigh around the neck of government and politics.

That said, this is the classic type of bill that Speaker Madigan would allow to exist to shakedown a company or industry.

Some committees that might be relevant (assignment of bills is based on the judgment of the Senate & House leaders and does not necessarily correspond to the name of the committee):

Illinois Senate

Illinois House 

 When I've proposed stuff to improve things for consumers in the past, Rep. Jaime Andrade (my rep) has raised concerns that even user fees will be portrayed in attack ads as tax increases.

This proposal, if competently implemented, should be revenue positive for the State of Illinois and a service provided to people who pay for it.

 

 

 



 


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