A report from The New York Times states the Twitter is considering selling usernames to boost revenue. The report comes as Elon Musk looks for ways to generate more money for the social media platform.
(Photo : JOEL SAGET / AFP)
This photograph taken on November 7, 2022 shows the logos of social networks Twitter and Mastodon reflected in smartphone screens, in Paris.
Online Auctions of Twitter Handles?
In addition, reports states that the engineers are considering organizing online auctions where people can bid for usernames. It can be recalled that the possibility of bidding for usernames has been discussed since December 2022. However, no one knows yet if the idea will turn into reality. And even if it does, how it will affect Twitter users.
Also in December 2022, Musk tweeted that the platform would start freeing up to 1.5 billion usernames and will delete inactive accounts. This doesn't come as news because Musk already announced this plan back in October 2022 following his acquisition of the social platform.
Username Squatting Policy
Twitter has a username squatting policy that doesn't allow buying and selling of usernames. However, the rule isn't being strictly followed as some users were able to buy coveted Twitter usernames on the black market-and this has been going on for years.
Moreover, the process of selling desirable usernames has attracted hackers in the past.
The reports come after Telegram announced in October 2022 that it will auction usernames for individual accounts and channels through its marketplace built on top of the TON blockchain.
Since Musk took over the platform, the billionaire has been looking for ways to boost the company's revenue despite the downturn in their ad revenue.
It has also been reported that since the Musk took over, a lot of advertisers left the platform, which pushed the company to cut down its internal revenue projections.
Also Read: Twitter to Launch Coins, a Secret In-development Digital Asset, According To Leaks
Changes to Twitter
Twitter underwent several changes over the past few months to boost revenue. Earlier this month, Twitter announced plans to lift the ban on political ads in the coming weeks. In November 2022, the platform revamped the Twitter Blue subscription.
After Musk took over the platform, Twitter has changed its focus and algorithms to serve users news and content according to their interests and preferences. This led to many users voicing out their frustrations, especially those who have been tweeting for years and have seen the platform change over time. It is expected that more changes will be made to the platform to boost revenue.
Whether the Twitter usernames would be sold is still unclear, but it wouldn't be surprising for it to happen. And even if it happens, it is hard to tell whether Twitter users will be affected or will benefit from the move. What do you think of this new possible development on Twitter?
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