Has Twitter already started removing inactive accounts?
Twitter has announced that it will begin to shut down inactive accounts. Are accounts being wiped?
This month, Twitter made changes to its policy on inactive accounts, warning users that they could see their account deleted if they did not log in and use the app for more than thirty days.
On 8 May, Elon Musk, who took over as Twitter CEO in late-2022, announced that follower counts may have fallen after “purging accounts.”
Why is Twitter removing inactive accounts?
The move to punish inactive users has come as a surprise to many because, from a revanue generating perspective, it doesn’t make much sense. Twitter’s primary revenue source, even after the rollout of Twitter Blue, continues to be advertisements. Users log in, and as they view content, they also see ads, which bring in money without needing to charge for an account.
Musk introduced Twitter Blue as an attempt to boost revenue, but it is unlikely to overtake advertisements as a portion of income. The Guardian reported that in 2021 Twitter made $5.1 billion through ads; meanwhile, recent estimates of the income generated through Twitter Blue were less than $20 million. And while not likely to catch up to revenue generated through ads, it could increase over time as the number of Twitter Blue subscribers rise. So, why would Musk delete inactive accounts even if infrequent users still generate revanue by viewing ads? Bots seem to be one answer. Old bots that are no longer being used could clog up the platform could lighten the load of those working on the backend.
Will the accounts be able to be recovered?
According to Musk, the accounts that are deleted after not being used for thirty days will be archived and thus recoverable if someone wants to begin using Twitter again.