Twitter to delete inactive accounts within weeks

Twitter to delete inactive accounts within weeks

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to delete inactive accounts within weeks

Click here to view original web page at Twitter to delete inactive accounts within weeks

PARIS, FRANCE - FEBRUARY 07: In this photo illustration the Twitter logo is displayed on the screen of an iPhone in front of a computer screen displaying a Twitter logo on February 07, 2019 in Paris, France. Twitter today posted better than expected Wall Street results over the last three months of 2018, with net profit up 28% and revenue up 4%, but the stock is falling. After losing 5 million monthly users by the end of 2018, the social network Twitter decided to stop giving figures. In its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2018, the company explains that this announcement will take effect in the second quarter of 2019. (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images)
Coveted handles are set to become available as a result of the clear out

has unveiled plans to delete accounts which have been inactive for more than six months.

Users have until 11 December to prevent dormant accounts from being affected by the huge “clean-up”.

Coveted handles are set to become available as a result of the clear out – but there are fears that accounts belonging to people who have died could end up being erased too.

The says it is exploring ways to memoralise such accounts, ensuring that messages and photographs are preserved for family and friends. already offers a similar feature.

says the clear out is necessary because the owners of dormant accounts have been unable to agree to the company’s new privacy policies.

The company is also considering whether to remove the accounts of users who do log in but “don’t do anything”.

Dan Hett, whose brother Martyn was killed in the Manchester Arena terror attack, is among those concerned about Twitter’s policy.

Martyn Hett
Martyn Hett was writing ‘an important digital legacy’, his brother says

Mr Hett tweeted: “ and social accounts can and do become vital when someone checks out, especially when it’s unexpected like in the case of @martynhett.

“He didn’t know he was writing an important in his throwaway tweets, but now we have it we mustn’t lose it.

“There are archival services that will scrape all the content, but this isn’t enough.

“The idea that one day you could tag @martynhett and have nothing appear, or worse someone else who’s taken the handle, is not the one.”


PARIS, FRANCE - FEBRUARY 07: In this photo illustration the Twitter logo is displayed on the screen of an iPhone in front of a computer screen displaying a Twitter logo on February 07, 2019 in Paris, France. Twitter today posted better than expected Wall Street results over the last three months of 2018, with net profit up 28% and revenue up 4%, but the stock is falling. After losing 5 million monthly users by the end of 2018, the social network Twitter decided to stop giving figures. In its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2018, the company explains that this announcement will take effect in the second quarter of 2019. (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images)
Coveted Twitter handles are set to become available as a result of the clear out

Twitter has unveiled plans to delete accounts which have been inactive for more than six months.

Users have until 11 December to prevent dormant accounts from being affected by the huge "clean-up".

Coveted Twitter handles are set to become available as a result of the clear out - but there are fears that accounts belonging to people who have died could end up being erased too.

The social network says it is exploring ways to memoralise such accounts, ensuring that messages and photographs are preserved for family and friends. Facebook already offers a similar feature.

Twitter says the clear out is necessary because the owners of dormant accounts have been unable to agree to the company's new privacy policies.

The company is also considering whether to remove the accounts of users who do log in but "don't do anything".

Dan Hett, whose brother Martyn was killed in the Manchester Arena terror attack, is among those concerned about Twitter's policy.

Martyn Hett
Martyn Hett was writing 'an important digital legacy', his brother says

Mr Hett tweeted: "Twitter and social accounts can and do become vital when someone checks out, especially when it's unexpected like in the case of @martynhett.

"He didn't know he was writing an important digital legacy in his throwaway tweets, but now we have it we mustn't lose it.

"There are archival services that will scrape all the content, but this isn't enough.

"The idea that one day you could tag @martynhett and have nothing appear, or worse someone else who's taken the handle, is not the one."

Eleanore

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