Twitter plans to delete inactive accounts from the platform next month – putting coveted usernames up for grabs
- Twitter said it will delete the accounts of inactive users on December 11
- It’s unclear when usernames will go up for grabs
- Some users worry accounts of deceased loved ones may be lost forever
Twitter said it will delete the accounts of inactive Twitter users next month, making some desirable handles free for the taking.
The Verge reports that Twitter will deactivate the accounts on December 11 and the move will only affect users who haven’t signed in at all in the past six months.
The platform has already started to email users to notify them that their account is at risk of being deleted.
Users who haven’t accessed their Twitter accounts for the last six months will have their accounts deleted and can stop the process by logging in (Stock photo)
‘As part of our commitment to serve the public conversation, we’re working to clean up inactive accounts to present more accurate, credible information people can trust across Twitter. Part of this effort is encouraging people to actively log-in and use Twitter when they register an account, as stated in our inactive accounts policy,’ a spokesperson told The Verge.
In order to prevent one’s account from being deleted, all a user must do is log into their account.
While the change will take place on December 11th, it’s not clear when those usernames will be available to the public once more, according to The Verge.
MailOnline reached out to Twitter to confirm the date for when usernames are slated to become available again but has not received a response before publication.
For now, hopeful users will have to wait and see which accounts open up after December and act swiftly to claim handles when they become available.
While some users expressed glee that they might have a shot at claiming handles like @Waluigi or @JustDamian, others noted that the move would also wipe Twitter of accounts formerly used by the deceased.
‘Horrified and scared to think I’ll lose traces of my dead partner, or my dead friends. It should be possible to free up usernames without eradicating the work and words of those who are no longer around,’ wrote one user on Twitter.
MailOnline reached out to Twitter regarding the possibility that it might archive posts of deceased users before deleting accounts but has not yet received a response.