Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) has indicated that it will delete accounts that have been inactive for over six months as of December 11. The company has indicated that the move is not an effort to free usernames, as some users suggested.
Twitter to delete inactive accounts
The company has already notified users who have been inactive for long that they will get rid of their accounts. Twitter indicated that they would delete the accounts of the users who don’t login by December 11. Users should follow steps the company has provided, which include accepting the most recent terms and policies of Twitter.
The cull also includes accounts of users who might have stopped using the site because they died unless someone with their details logs in. However, the company is delaying the process until it implements a way of memorizing accounts of users who have died.
This is the first time the social medial site is removing inactive accounts on such a massive scale. This is because those inactive accounts were unable to accept the company’s latest privacy policies. According to a Twitter spokesperson, the removal of inactive accounts will enhance credibility from the user’s follower counts. The company will begin with those accounts registered outside the US.
Culling of inactive users to create credibility on the platform
The spokesperson indicated that as part of the company’s commitment to serving the public thus will be deleting inactive accounts. This is a way of presenting credible and more accurate information that users can rely on the platform. Equally, they are seeking ways of encouraging people to login and use their accounts.
The process will occur over the next several months, and thus the recouped usernames could take time before they are available. Going forward, the spokesperson indicated that they would also target accounts of users who login but do nothing. The company indicates that there are several ways it can detect genuine human users.
However, the process will not affect reported user numbers since Twitter bases its numbers on those that login at least once a day.
