Twitter have unveiled plans to introduce “Verified Accounts” in order to prevent fake tweeting.

The announcement came as Twitter issued a strict denial that they had agreed a settlement with Tony La Russa, coach of US baseball outfit The St. Louis Cardinals with respect to fake tweets made in his name.

Co-founder of the microblogging giants Biz Stone admitted that: “Impersonation violates Twitter’s Terms of Service” and admitted that they “take the issue seriously.” However, he went on to describe La Russa’s lawsuit as “an unnecessary waste of judicial resources bordering on frivolous.”

Stone stated that the verified accounts service will use a verification seal and the service will first be aimed at “public officials, public agencies, famous artists, athletes, and other well known individuals at risk of impersonation.”

He did warn, though, that the lack of a seal does not necessarily mean that a Twitter account is fake and insisted that “the vast majority of Twitter accounts are not impersonators.”

(via Twitter Blog)