Is it time to bail on Twitter?
Opinions on that decision were running rife on the platform, many tagged with #RIPTwitter, on Monday following news of the impending sale of the company to Tesla CEO and world’s richest person Elon Musk.
Sentiments ranged from conspiracy theories, to promises to never use the platform again when Musk takes over the company, to celebrations of an end to perceived “censorship” policies.
Even Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey appeared conflicted about the future of the short-message platform, which has attracted over 320 million users since launching to the public in 2006.
On Monday, Dorsey tweeted about his ongoing love of the company he helped create over 15 years ago, but he also shared feelings of “regret” about the evolution of the platform and seemed to celebrate its pending move from a publicly owned entity into private control.
The idea and service is all that matters to me, and I will do whatever it takes to protect both. Twitter as a company has always been my sole issue and my biggest regret. It has been owned by Wall Street and the ad model. Taking it back from Wall Street is the correct first step.
— jack⚡️ (@jack) April 26, 2022
But, Dorsey also wrote that he wasn’t sure the platform should be owned by anyone while simultaneously praising Musk, a self-described “free speech absolutist,” as the person best suited to assume control of Twitter as a private owner.
Elon’s goal of creating a platform that is “maximally trusted and broadly inclusive” is the right one. This is also @paraga’s goal, and why I chose him. Thank you both for getting the company out of an impossible situation. This is the right path...I believe it with all my heart.
— jack⚡️ (@jack) April 26, 2022
So, for those looking to get out of the Twitter game for good, or who may just need to give themselves a timeout from the platform, here’s a handy guide assembled by TechStory about how to put those handles to rest for now, or forever.
From the mobile app or the web browser, you can deactivate your Twitter account. This is how you do it.
1. Tap your profile avatar in the Twitter app.
2. Select “Privacy and settings.”
3. Click on “Account.”
4. Select “Deactivate your account” from the drop-down menu.
5. Tap “Deactivate” to confirm you want to deactivate the account, then reconfirm the deactivation.
Using a desktop computer browser, deactivate Twitter using the following steps:
1. Open a browser and go to Twitter.
2. If necessary, log in to your account.
3. In the left-hand Twitter bar, click the three-dot “More” symbol.
4. From the pop-up menu, choose “Settings and privacy.”
5. Click on “Account.”
6. Select “Deactivate your account” from the drop-down menu.
7. Tap “Deactivate” to confirm you want to deactivate the account. A second confirmation of deactivation is required.
TechStory also noted that, when canceling accounts, users need to make certain adjustments to account settings if they are deactivating a Twitter account but wish to use the same username or email address with a new account later. The decision to deactivate is typically permanent, albeit the platform allows you to reinstate an account within 30 days. It’s gone for good after that.