In a shocking revelation, popular social media platform X (Twitter) allegedly sold usernames for the absurd sum of $50,000. This revelation comes at a time when the company is facing financial difficulties and struggling to maintain its user base. CEO Elon Musk, known for his unconventional approaches to business, seems to be exploring innovative ways to strengthen the company’s bottom line.
X (Twitter) will open a marketplace where usernames are bought and sold
According to leaked emails obtained by Forbes, a team known as @Handle is spearheading the creation of a marketplace dedicated to the buying and selling of usernames left idle by the original registrants. The reported price tag for these usernames is a flat fee of $50,000, but details on the process are scant at the moment.
Musk, who acquired the platform in October 2022, had hinted at his intention to address the issue of dormant accounts shortly after taking over. In November of that year, he made it clear that he was committed to freeing up dormant accounts, a promise he reiterated in November. “Twitter will soon start freeing up the namespace of 1.5 billion accounts,” Musk said on Twitter on December 9, demonstrating his determination to tackle the issue head-on.
Then in May, Musk began purging accounts that had not seen any activity for several years. But the move led some users to request that deceased account holders donate their inactive accounts, underscoring the emotional attachment people have to their online identities.
It is worth noting that the sale of usernames is expressly prohibited in the platform’s terms of service, and this policy has been in place since Twitter’s inception. The company has consistently taken a stance against “username squatting” and attempts to engage in such activity can lead to serious consequences, including permanent account suspension.
This latest development raises questions regarding the potential impact on user trust and the overall integrity of the platform. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how users and the wider online community will react to this controversial strategy that Twitter (X’s) is using to address its financial woes.
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