Twitter is set to free up coveted usernames by purging inactive accounts, according to recent tweets by owner Elon Musk.
While the social media platform has had an inactive account policy for years, which suggests users should log in every 30 days to avoid account deletion, it hasn’t made any significant effort to put more usernames back into circulation.
Musk clarified that Twitter is purging accounts that have had “no activity at all for several years,” a more conservative approach than the existing policy.
Users have been warned that their follower counts may drop as a result of the purge, particularly those who accumulated a large following in Twitter’s early days.
The move could make many usernames available, Musk said in a follow-up tweet, though he didn’t elaborate on how users would be able to acquire them.
In the past, Twitter has considered selling popular usernames through online auctions to generate additional revenue. The plan’s current status is unclear.
Musk has been interested in freeing up usernames since taking over the social media platform and noted in October that it was something he wanted to do.
The move to free up usernames comes as Twitter faces increased competition from rivals like Mastodon, Bluesky, T2, Nostr and Post.
Each network has managed to siphon off thousands of Twitter users, with Mastodon now boasting 1.2 million monthly active users across its servers.
Other companies, such as Substack, Flipboard and Artifact, have also launched their own discussion features that could compete with Twitter indirectly.
Musk’s move could potentially lure lapsed users back to Twitter, increasing the social media platform’s network effects and generating more revenue.
However, it’s worth noting that not all of Musk’s tweets come to pass in the timeframe he suggests.
So far, Twitter has not released any official updates on the process or the potential for a username “land grab.”
Many users have asked whether there will be a way to memorialize the accounts of those who have passed rather than deleting them, but this hasn’t been addressed yet.
