X: Duration of paid subscription can soon take over unused account names
Plans transfer of unused account names existed at X for a long time, now they become concrete. Users with the most expensive paid plans should be next.
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The microblogging service X wants to soon release inactive account names to particularly many paying users or offer them for sale. These will cost between 2500 and over a million US dollars, depending on interest. This is according to an announcement from the “X Handle Marketplace” and a report by The Verge. Account names of no longer active accounts will be divided into two categories, it says on the microblogging service. So-called priority usernames are defined as those from “full names, multi-word phrases, or alphanumeric combinations.” With a paid subscription, these can be requested and transferred free of charge in the future. In contrast, “rare usernames” such as “@Pizza” or “@Tom” will cost money.
Account takeover only for the duration of the paid subscription
According to X's announcement, there will be a standardized procedure for requesting an inactive “priority username” where paying users can request the takeover. If this request is approved, the transfer will take place without any additional costs. In contrast, the “short, generic, or culturally significant” “rare usernames” will be offered regularly, with the price being set by those responsible at the microblogging service. X also promises public application procedures. The catch with taken-over usernames in both categories is that they are lost again as soon as the paid subscription is terminated. In that case, the username will be reset to the original after a 30-day transition period.
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According to the announcement, only users with Premium+ and Premium Business subscriptions who pay over 30 euros per month to the microblogging service, also monthly, can participate in the procedure. First reports on the plans to resell unused account names at X (then still Twitter) appeared just a few weeks after Elon Musk's takeover of the social network. At that time, resale was still explicitly prohibited. The plan was then considered an attempt to tap into a new source of revenue; now the plans could increase the value of a paid subscription. However, only a few handles are likely to have any value at all, for example, names of celebrities, first names, or brands.
(mho)
