In a surprising move, the official Twitter account recently underwent a significant rebranding by changing its handle from @Twitter to @X. However, this transformation came with a price, as the social media giant had to acquire the coveted @X handle from a dedicated long-time user.
No offer, only merchandise
Gene X. Hwang, the co-founder of Orange Photography, had been using the @X handle for an impressive 16 years. As news of Twitter’s rebranding spread, Hwang expressed his willingness to sell the account to none other than Elon Musk himself, given the tech mogul’s prominent association with the letter “X.”
However, instead of receiving a tempting offer from Musk, Hwang claims he was offered merchandise and a tour, which hardly compensates for losing the handle he had diligently maintained for over a decade.
Also read: Twitter’s Metamorphosis: Elon Musk Unveils Plans To Replace The Iconic “Blue Bird” Logo With “X”
The incident has sparked debates about the ethics of such account acquisitions and highlights the challenges that arise when big corporations clash with long-standing user identities on social media platforms.
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