It is a common sight to see users create accounts on social media platforms, then either forget about those or not log in for prolonged periods of time. Twitter has noticed this, and now, CEO Elon Musk announced that they will be removing accounts that have been inactive for several years.
He took to Twitter to announce the development, adding that it is “purging accounts” that have had no activity for several years. Not only will it “free up abandoned handles,” but it will also result in a drop in the follower count of numerous users.
A separate tweet by Twitter Daily News informed that it would “hopefully” not affect read-only accounts. Under Twitter’s current policy regarding inactive accounts, users need to log in to their accounts at least once every 30 days to avoid the permanent removal of the accounts due to being idle for prolonged periods of time.
Hopefully this doesn’t affect read only accounts.
— T(w)itter Daily News (@TitterDaily) May 8, 2023
In a separate tweet, the Twitter CEO announced that the inactive accounts will be archived, but remained mum on whether the archived accounts will be accessible to Twitter users. It came in a reply to a separate tweet by John Carmack, computer programmer and former CTO at Oculus VR, who urged Musk to reconsider the decision, terming the deletion of the output of inactive accounts as “terrible.”
I may be reading this incorrectly, but if you are actually deleting inactive accounts and all their historic tweets, I would STRONGLY urge you to reconsider.
Letting people know how many “active” followers they have is good information, but deleting the output of inactive…
— John Carmack (@ID_AA_Carmack) May 8, 2023
The decision to remove inactive accounts may seem trivial at first, but it could have a significant impact on the platform. Twitter has struggled with spam and fake accounts for years, and the removal of inactive accounts could help to address this problem. This development is not without its downsides, though – the removal of a significant number of inactive accounts could have a significant impact on the perception of Twitter as a platform with a large and engaged user base, which could affect advertising revenue and partnerships.
On top of that, Twitter’s ‘purges’ in recent past haven’t really resulted in the best of outputs. Its most recent purge, that eliminated all old blue tick verification badges, left the most important of celebrities, sports stars and even some high ranking government officials, without a verified account. Chaos ensued later on, only calmed down after Musk reportedly himself paid to get blue tick verification for several celebrity accounts.
By removing inactive accounts, Twitter will be able to free up usernames that have been taken by inactive users. This will make it easier for new users to find and sign up for the platform. It could also be especially beneficial for brands and individuals who have been unable to secure their desired Twitter handle due to it being taken by an account that has not been active for years. Moreover, it will also help to reduce the number of fake accounts on the platform, as these accounts are often created using inactive usernames.
