Twitter Purge: Elon Musk announces deletion of inactive accounts to free up unique usernames
Twitter Purge: Elon Musk announces deletion of inactive accounts to free up unique usernames
Elon Musk has announced that Twitter will start removing accounts that have been inactive for multiple years. However, many users expressed their apprehension about losing the accounts of their dear ones, as they perceive tweets as a means of commemorating them. It appears that the cleanup is focused on those who use the platform but infrequently post updates.
Twitter’s policy stipulates that users must log in to their accounts at least once every 30 days to prevent their accounts from being permanently deleted due to extended periods of inactivity.
Long-standing policy, but seldomly invoked
Although Twitter had a policy in place requiring users to log in at least once every 30 days to avoid permanent account deletion, the company had not made a significant effort to restore usernames to rotation until now.
Elon Musk claimed that Twitter’s recent purge is more restrained than its stated policy, as it is specifically targeting accounts that have remained completely inactive for multiple years. In addition, users have been cautioned that the purge may lead to a decline in follower counts, particularly for established Twitter accounts that garnered a large following during the platform’s early years as a social network.
In a subsequent tweet, Musk responded to a query about the availability of usernames by affirming that many usernames would indeed become available due to the purge. However, he did not elaborate on the method by which users could obtain these usernames, other than attempting to create a new account with a specific name.
Will freeing up usernames bring more users and revenue?
In recent times, Twitter had contemplated selling desirable usernames through online auctions as a means of generating more revenue. It is unknown if this plan is still in effect, and if so, how it will be executed. In December 2022, Musk had previously tweeted that Twitter would “soon” free up the namespace of 1.5 billion accounts and that inactive accounts would be removed as part of the process.
Elon Musk has been interested in freeing up usernames for a while, and he had expressed this desire in October, after becoming Twitter’s new owner.
Since Musk’s acquisition of the social network, Twitter has encountered increased competition from alternative platforms such as the open-source Mastodon, decentralized rival Bluesky, and other Twitter clones such as T2, Nostr, and Post, among others.
While none of these platforms has become the “new Twitter,” each has managed to attract thousands of Twitter users. Mastodon, for instance, now boasts 1.2 million monthly active users across its servers. Other companies, including Substack, Flipboard, and Artifact, have also launched their discussion features, which could indirectly compete with Twitter.
By freeing up coveted usernames, Musk could potentially entice dormant users to return to Twitter, benefiting the network effects and, ultimately, Twitter’s ability to generate revenue.
What about accounts that belong to people who are dead?
Some Twitter users are requesting that Musk find a way to memorialize accounts of deceased loved ones. One user even shared that they still read their deceased father’s account daily and asked for it to remain active.
Then, there are a few accounts of a few prominent people and brands who have been inactive on the platform for a long time. For instance, former US President Donald Trump has not tweeted since 2021 after being banned for over a year. Apple too has never posted anything on its account.
However, it’s worth noting that while some users are concerned about losing access to their loved ones’ accounts, they can still export an archive of the tweets if they have access to the account.
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