Recently, billionaire Elon Musk renamed the social media platform Twitter to X and unveiled a new logo- a stylized black-and-white version of the letter. Twitter also changed its official handle to @X as part of the ongoing rebranding, while the original @Twitter handle is now inactive. However, it was reported that Mr Musk took over the @X account without paying its original owner. In a similar case, a user has stated that the same happened to him as the social media company suddenly took the account handle from him and offered a new handle in return.
On August 4, Jeremy Vaught took to Twitter and said that he had been running the handle @Music for the past 16 years. However, the microblogging site took control of it and "just ripped it away". "16 years ago, I created @music and have been running it ever since. Just now, Twitter / X just ripped it away. Super pissed," he wrote in the caption.
He also attached a screenshot of the email he received from the company. The email reads, "The user handle associated with account @Music will be affiliated with X Corp. Accordingly, your user handle will be changed to a new user handle."
16 years ago, I created @music and have been running it ever since. Just now, Twitter / X just ripped it away.
— Jeremy Vaught (@jeremyvaught) August 3, 2023
Super pissed pic.twitter.com/ctacWKY9js
"However, we appreciate your loyalty and want to minimize any inconvenience this may cause. At this time we will be changing this handle to @musicfan," they continued.
Mr Vaught was also informed by the Elon Musk-led social media company that he could alternatively switch to the account @musicfan or select another username from @musicmusic, @music123, or @musiclover. It also stated that his account's followers and following information will be moved to his new user handle.
Since being shared, his post has amassed a lot of attention online. It has received over 4.9 million views and 28,000 likes.
"That's incredibly disappointing," said a user.
"If it's any consolation, this platform is getting destroyed so quickly that it won't be here in another five years let alone sixteen," commented another person.
A third person added, "This is crazy. Imagine Gmail coming back to you after 16 years to say they are now taking back that email ID you've been using all this while?"
"Welcome to Musk's platform - where he can just steal your handle and rip apart 16 years of work. And then he'll offer you alternative handles that others already own, and so steal from them too. Who would ever build a following on here anymore?!" commented a person.
"A reminder that when you build on someone else's platform, you don't own anything. Do whatever you can to get people onto your own platform that you do own," remarked a person.
