Twitter to delete dormant accounts en mass

[msknight]

Twitter is reported to be getting ready to delete dormant accounts that haven't been active in the last 6 months. - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-50567751

 

They're putting it down to people who don't log in, being unable to aggree to new terms and sevices, which sounds hollow as if you're not logging in, you're not using the service!

 

Some services have dormant account deletion policies already and re-using account names isn't new, but this is a bit harsh and raises the question as to whether this is going to become a faster/regular/automatic thing for dormant accounts in the future, rather than one-off culls.

[dizmo]

Oh. Oh no. I'll lose that account I can't remember the password...or log in to...or the email that it was attached to.. 

 

I see no issue with this. 

[GenericFanboy]

Less effort for me to delete it 

[RejZoR]

I did them (and myself) a favor few years ago when I deleted it myself. Stupid garbage Twitter and their bullshit arbitrary TOS rules and constant bitching to get my phone number...

[mr moose]

good, this makes a change from those web services that refuse to delete your account even if you send them a registered letter with copies of id and and stat dec signed by the clerk of courts.

[Maslofski]

time to post something random, cant loose my giveaway participation account

[Trik'Stari]

Now if only Facebook would delete my account.

 

And itself. And if only Twitter would delete itself.

[LAwLz]

Removing accounts which haven't even been logged in to for a long time? Good idea!

Removing accounts that haven't been logged into in the last 6 months however seems a bit aggressive. How about at least a year? I can go 6 months without logging in to some website but I don't want my account deleted for that.

[Arika]

48 minutes ago, mr moose said:

good, this makes a change from those web services that refuse to delete your account even if you send them a registered letter with copies of id and and stat dec signed by the clerk of courts.

i doubt they will be "deleted" they will likely be hidden and account names changed to a random string of numbers just to reopen the previous name to other users. almost guarantee they will keep the user data and ad profile just incase you decide to sign up again

[Taf the Ghost]

Follower counts are about to get hilarious.

[Flying Sausages]

6 minutes ago, Taf the Ghost said:

Follower counts are about to get hilarious.

And instagram followers too

[porina]

3 hours ago, LAwLz said:

Removing accounts that haven't been logged into in the last 6 months however seems a bit aggressive. How about at least a year? I can go 6 months without logging in to some website but I don't want my account deleted for that.

I would hope they at least give people a reminder some time before deletion. Might even get some inactives back to active.

[Radioactive Snowman]

3 hours ago, Trik'Stari said:

And if only Twitter would delete itself.

Twitter is one of the most entertaining social media platforms today (on par with reddit for me)

 

I use both of them consistently throughout the day

[kittykat-dev]

Imagine using twitter in 2019, yikes

[rcmaehl]

Thanks for the tip

[Commodus]

Heads-up, folks: you don't need to post to keep your account, just sign in.  If you're a perpetual lurker that's fine.  And if you're affected, you'll get email giving you a heads-up.

 

Also,  while this will be good for culling unused accounts, it's not good for the memories of deceased people or significant-but-inactive accounts.  Twitter could wipe out important records without much chance to appeal.  It's supposedly looking at ways to memorialize the dead, but it's clear the company hasn't entirely thought things through.

[TechyBen]

7 hours ago, dizmo said:

Oh. Oh no. I'll lose that account I can't remember the password...or log in to...or the email that it was attached to.. 

 

I see no issue with this. 

Oooor... I can finally get the one I did forget the password to... or someone else put in before me. (Assuming they allow reactivation... but I guess they wont...  I'll forever be StillTechybennumber2)

[Master Disaster]

Rip my account then

[Lurick]

15 hours ago, dizmo said:

Oh. Oh no. I'll lose that account I can't remember the password...or log in to...or the email that it was attached to.. 

 

I see no issue with this. 

They literally won't let me change my email associated with my account because they can't seem to send me the email to my other address so I guess this solves my issue too

[justpoet]

Good, only used it to enter some contests that required a re-tweet or the like.  Happy for it to go away.

[vorticalbox]

Twitter has now paused this.

 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50581287

[Commodus]

2 hours ago, vorticalbox said:

Twitter has now paused this.

 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50581287

That's wise, although I can't believe Twitter didn't stop to think "but what about deceased users?" You'd think that someone at the meeting would have considered that there are valuable inactive accounts.

[Ecchi]

RIP my account I made when I was 13.

[GeekYuuki]

20 minutes ago, Ecchi said:

RIP my account I made when I was 13.

 

Same! It's probably not a bad idea, now that I think about it.

 

Doxing is a real issue, and half those accounts I can't even login to.

[The1Dickens]

1 hour ago, Commodus said:

but what about deceased users?

This thought is so incredibly strange to me. Why is it important for a deceased person to have a social media presence? in what social circles are they still active? To what degree do they influence any social issues?