This archive report was first published on 27 November 2019.
Twitter has announced that it will start deleting inactive accounts this December, but the company is giving users a heads up to log in and save their usernames.
According to Twitter's inactive account policy, inactivity is based on logging in, not tweeting. This means that if you've logged into your account recently but haven't tweeted since 2017, your account will be fine.
However, if you haven't logged into your Twitter account for over six months, you may receive an email from Twitter informing you that your account may be permanently removed due to prolonged inactivity.
Twitter's statement on the matter, released to TechCrunch on November 26, 2019, explains that the company is working to clean up inactive accounts to present more accurate and credible information to users.
But what does this mean for users who can't log in, such as those in extended hospital stays or others who may lose their accounts and entire post histories?
Twitter has said that it's thinking of how to memorialize tweets from deceased users, unlike Facebook which offers a 'memorialisation' option that freezes the account in place and disallows new interactions.
Additionally, bot accounts that automatically tweet news or alerts will also be affected if the account owners do not log in before the December deadline.
Twitter has sent out emails to users of accounts that will be affected by the deletions, but the company won't say how many current accounts fit the criteria, although it's expected to be in the many millions.
