Twitter Will Archive Accounts That Have Been Inactive 'For Several Years': Elon Musk

Twitter's policy stipulates that users must log in to their accounts at least once every 30 days to prevent permanent removal due to prolonged inactivity.

Elon Musk shared the account-purging news via a tweet. ( Image Source :Getty )

In a recent tweet, Twitter CEO Elon Musk revealed that the microblogging platform will take measures to address inactive accounts that have remained dormant for an extended period of time. The company will archive such accounts. Musk emphasised the importance of freeing up abandoned handles and announced that these inactive accounts would be removed from the platform. However, specific details regarding the timing of this process were not provided by Musk.

At present, it remains unclear how users will be able to access these archived accounts, if at all. Twitter has not disclosed any information on this matter, leaving users in anticipation of further updates.

We’re purging accounts that have had no activity at all for several years, so you will probably see follower count drop

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 8, 2023

Musk also cautioned users about a potential decrease in their follower count, as numerous inactive accounts are expected to be eliminated. Twitter's policy stipulates that users must log in to their accounts at least once every 30 days to prevent permanent removal due to prolonged inactivity.

The accounts will be archived

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 8, 2023

In a separate incident earlier this month, Musk expressed his dissatisfaction with National Public Radio's (NPR) Twitter account, which had ceased posting content across its 52 official Twitter feeds. In protest against a Twitter label that implied government involvement in its editorial content, the public broadcaster halted its activity. Musk even went as far as threatening to transfer the account to another company.

Furthermore, Twitter recently garnered attention when it removed the verified blue tick from the profiles of various individuals, including celebrities, journalists, and prominent politicians. This move, implemented last month, resulted in the removal of the legacy verified status.

Musk has incorporated account verification into Twitter's Blue subscription service, which aims to combat the presence of bot accounts on the social media platform. By making verification a part of the subscription package, Musk believes this will help address the issue effectively.

As Twitter prepares to take action against inactive accounts, users eagerly await further information regarding the archiving process and potential changes to their follower counts.