Twitter update to free up millions of inactive usernames

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Always wanted a username but couldn’t get it because it was owned by an inactive user?

Your luck could be about to change, as Twitter is reportedly taking action against accounts that have not logged in for more than six months.

The biggest cleanup effort to date will mean that Twitter will free up potentially millions of usernames from inactive accounts, and make them available to the general public to use.

Twitter has begun sending emails to Twitter users who have not logged into their account for six months or more, and warns that if they don’t log in before December 11, their account will be deleted from Twitter permanently.

Once deleted, their username will be available to the public.

Speaking of the cleanup, a spokesperson for the company said that Twitter’s goal was to “clean up inactive accounts to present more accurate, credible information.”

“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,” the company said.

“We have begun proactive outreach to many accounts who have not logged into Twitter in over six months to inform them that their accounts may be permanently removed due to prolonged inactivity.”

What’s interesting to note is that Twitter has been coy around when or if those usernames will be made available to the public and that accounts would be deleted “over many months, not just on a single day,” so you’ll need to keep your eyes peeled if there’s a username you want to nab.

Are you planning to change your username on Twitter in the coming months? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter and check back soon for more social media news every week.

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