User names on auction
Twitter engineers have reportedly discussed running online auctions where people can bid for usernames. These may include words, numbers or string of characters that follow the @ sign by which accounts are identified on the platform. For example, Elon Musk’s Twitter username is @elonmusk.
Unique usernames — also known as handles — can fetch good money. “They are often claimed by early adopters of social media platforms and some people and brands are willing to pay thousands of dollars for them. Black markets have sprung up where people can buy “original gangster,” or O.G., usernames that are desired because they feature a short word or a number and may have been abandoned by their owners,” say the report.
It is, however, so far not clear if the company will go ahead with the project. The report too is is not very clear on how the plan may exactly work. As only certain user names — such as those of well-known people, brands and popular names — may have value, rest are likely to have not little, if any, value.
What Twitter rules say on buying and selling of handles
Presently, Twitter’s rules forbid buying and selling of handles. Username squatting is prohibited by the Twitter Rules. “Attempts to sell, buy, or solicit other forms of payment in exchange for usernames are also violations and may result in permanent account suspension,” says the policy.
Last October, popular messaging platform Telegram said that it would let people auction their handles.
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