New Delhi: X, formerly known as Twitter, is stepping up its efforts to sell unused user handles, a move anticipated by its owner, Elon Musk. According to the news reports, a team within the company called the @Handle Team, is working on a marketplace where people can purchase account names that have been abandoned by their original owners. In some cases, X, formerly Twitter, has sent emails to potential buyers, asking for a flat fee of $50,000 and higher to kickstart the purchase.
These emails, which Forbes cannot fully disclose to protect the recipients’ privacy, were sent by active X employees. They mention recent updates to X’s guidelines, processes, and fees related to handles.
When Forbes reached out to X for comment, they received an automated response stating that the company was currently busy.
Elon Musk’s company has long been rumoured to be considering such a program. As early as November 2022, Musk noted that a considerable number of handles had been taken by bots and trolls and announced his intention to free them up the following month. There were even suggestions from users about a “Handle Marketplace,” where individuals could buy and sell accounts, with the platform taking a fee. It remains uncertain if such a marketplace is now in operation. In January, The New York Times reported that X employees were already discussing the sale of X/Twitter handles, and Musk revealed plans to release up to 1.5 billion usernames “soon.” In May, X began removing inactive accounts from its platform.
