Microblogging platform Twitter has announced plans to clean up locked accounts.
In an effort to promote healthier communication on the platform, Twitter has taken a significant step by removing locked or potentially insecure accounts. While most users experienced a loss of four or fewer followers, larger accounts saw a much more substantial decrease.
The difference between these removed accounts and typical bot or spam accounts is that they were initially created by real people. However, due to prolonged inactivity or frequent password changes, Twitter could not verify if the accounts were still being managed by their original owners, prompting this decision.
Twitter explained:
“Follower counts are a visible feature, and we want everyone to trust that these numbers are accurate.”
“Over the years, we have locked accounts when we noticed sudden changes in their behavior. In such cases, we reach out to the account owners, and if they do not validate their accounts or reset their passwords, we keep these accounts locked. Starting this week, we will globally remove locked accounts from follower counts.”
This move highlights Twitter’s commitment to ensuring the integrity and trustworthiness of its platform.