According to an article from The New York Times, Twitter is pondering over the potential of marketing certain user account names in hopes of generating increased profits.
The newspaper reported that Twitter is exploring the concept of online auctions to monetize inactive user accounts, as some users can acquire names ever used by others on the platform. This approach may be an effective way for Twitter to generate more revenues.
Last month, Elon Musk announced on Twitter that within a short time span, the website will begin to edit 1.5 billion user names in order to eliminate inactive accounts. In response to another tweet via the same social media platform, he voiced his intent of editing accounts with necessary usernames.
Twitter will soon start freeing the name space of 1.5 billion accounts
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 9, 2022
Despite Twitter’s strict policy prohibiting the buying and selling of usernames, there have been countless instances where people have still managed to acquire coveted names through illicit means. Over the years, a flourishing black market has allowed users to purchase such prized possessions.
Usernames have long been coveted on the web, leading to hackers attempting to exploit their sale. In 2020, a teen hacker was apprehended for unlawfully infiltrating social media networks and selling prestigious usernames – including those of esteemed public figures like Elon Musk, Barack Obama, Bill Gates and more.
The newspaper suggested that Twitter has not yet decided whether to move ahead with this concept, and if so, which pseudonyms of its users will be included.
At the end of last year, rumors began to circulate that some websites were offering pseudonyms for sale on Twitter.
Last October, the Telegram network made headlines by selling some of its accounts’ pseudonyms for high prices. The most noteworthy purchase was “news @ “, which sold for an impressive $1.8 million! It is worth noting that this event sparked a trend across other online networks and apps as well, showing just how powerful buying user names can be.
