![Elon Musk threatens to reassign inactive Twitter accounts](/i/c/380ec3ac-37aa-6742-d17e-7e2748536371.webp)
Elon Musk threatens to reassign inactive Twitter accounts
Elon Musk has announced that Twitter will purge accounts that have been inactive on the social media platform for a long time. The Twitter chief had already expressed interest last November in purging inactive accounts. He said in the following month that Twitter would “soon” start freeing the usernames of 1.5 billion accounts, adding that inactive accounts would be deleted in the process. “We’re purging accounts that have had no activity at all for several years, so you will probably see follower count drop,” Mr Musk tweeted on Monday. “It is important to free up abandoned handles,” the multibillionaire said. Responding to a user, the Tesla and SpaceX chief said several usernames will become available as a result of the move. Many users replied to Mr Musk’s tweet, asking if there will be a way to memorialise accounts of deceased users. The multibillionaire hinted that deleted accounts “will be archived”. The latest decision comes as Twitter continues to make new changes to the platform to boost revenue even as some of the measures have alienated users and advertisers. Earlier last month, the company did away with free blue check marks, and monetised its user verification process, charging people $8 each month for the “blue tick” badges. Mr Musk, however, proceeded to reinstate the blue tick on some celebrity, media and other high profile accounts even as some of the recepients protested receiving free verification. Twitter has also tried several different approaches to boost revenue, including relaxing some of its policies that ban political advertisements and adding a more expensive ad-free subscription option to the platform. The social media company also announced that it was planning to charge companies from $42,000 to as much as $210,000 per month for access to its Application Programming Interface. Twitter has also changed its content policies, announcing it will rely more on artificial intelligence to moderate posts on the platform. The platform is also trying to attract more content creators. On Tuesday, the Tesla chief tweeted to his followers that their “support of content creators” on the platform is “very much appreciated”. “We keep none of the subscription revenue for the first 12 months & only 10 per cent thereafter,” Mr Musk said. Read More New Twitter rules expose election offices to spoof accounts Bluesky: Twitter alternative surges in popularity as celebrities join and people fight over invites AI isn’t falling into the wrong hands – it’s being built by them
2023-05-09 13:22
![IShowSpeed calls Lionel Messi the 'dad' of Cristiano Ronaldo in viral TikTok video](/i/c/6a1564ca-dd4b-cefb-ced2-e67de4d2c9aa.webp)
IShowSpeed calls Lionel Messi the 'dad' of Cristiano Ronaldo in viral TikTok video
Is Cristiano Ronaldo the secret child of Lionel Messi? Get to know the truth here!
2023-05-09 13:15
![Sam Bankman-Fried wants his case thrown out of court](/i/c/4c3275ae-6dfe-8baf-fe3d-ebe4407a5f9c.webp)
Sam Bankman-Fried wants his case thrown out of court
Lawyers for FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried on Monday filed motions to dismiss the US government's fraud charges against him.
2023-05-09 11:58
![Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried urges court to toss charges](/i/c/0bd3d9ea-f0bc-bb48-7982-ae6f6d43aa0b.webp)
Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried urges court to toss charges
By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) -Sam Bankman-Fried, who has long denied stealing from customers of his FTX cryptocurrency exchange,
2023-05-09 10:46
![EU draft Data Act puts trade secrets at risk, Siemens, SAP say](/i/c/b39c8785-fdd0-bcae-2f32-402d0f777cd6.webp)
EU draft Data Act puts trade secrets at risk, Siemens, SAP say
By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS German business software maker SAP and German engineering company Siemens have joined U.S.
2023-05-09 04:49
![Graphic images of Texas mall shooting spread on Twitter, rekindling debate on how much to share](/i/c/0d6cca4b-bb4f-a1d9-492f-81e3baf7af63.webp)
Graphic images of Texas mall shooting spread on Twitter, rekindling debate on how much to share
Within hours of the mass shooting on Saturday at a Texas outlet mall, some Twitter users shared gruesome pictures of bloodied bodies, purportedly from the crime scene. At least one image appeared to be of a child.
2023-05-09 03:23
![New this week: Jonas Brothers, Muppets, Bennifer and Zelda](/i/c/6713c943-6e2b-50da-2cd6-535ba96bcc46.webp)
New this week: Jonas Brothers, Muppets, Bennifer and Zelda
This week’s new entertainment releases include an album from Jonas Brothers, Nintendo releasing a fresh Legend of Zelda video game and PBS’ “Great Performances” celebrating 50 years of Broadway with a starry concert
2023-05-08 22:56
![Meta May End Facebook, Instagram News Content in Canada](/i/c/38133ade-8e11-e578-c780-504122bc4c47.webp)
Meta May End Facebook, Instagram News Content in Canada
Meta Platforms Inc. said it would end news content on Facebook and Instagram in Canada if lawmakers pass
2023-05-08 21:59
![Congress eyes new rules for tech: What's under consideration](/i/c/fb13a2d9-436b-9834-d21b-f402c3ea89a6.webp)
Congress eyes new rules for tech: What's under consideration
Most Democrats and Republicans agree that the federal government should better regulate the biggest technology companies, particularly social media platforms
2023-05-08 21:48