Twitter has launched an initiative ‘Twittering Dead Project’ that will ensure that tweets from deceased loved ones will be preserved even as it has announced it will begin weeding the platform of inactive accounts next month.
Internet Archive software curator and digital preservationist Jason Scott, who announced the initiative asked users to supply the Twitter handles of any accounts they’d like to see archived.
However, unlike Facebook and other services, Twitter does not offer a way to memorialize accounts.
Only yesterday, Twitter announced its plan to remove old Twitter accounts. The process is expected to commence on December 11th. Twitter also said, that any account that has not been signed in to within the last six months risks being deleted, freeing up its username to be registered by someone else.
According to the social media platform, the move is being initiated to “clean up inactive accounts” in order to “present more accurate, credible information people can trust across Twitter.” But the move will also have the unfortunate side effect of removing some content with sentimental value.
In contrast to Facebook, Twitter does not offer a way to memorialize accounts of the deceased.
A Twitter spokesperson said, “We do not currently have a way to memorialize someone’s Twitter account once they have passed on, but the team is thinking about ways to do this.”
The service currently allows you to download a Twitter account, but that’s not an option if you don’t have a loved one’s login details.
For those who want to participate in the project, they simply will have to fill Google Form set up by Scott.
“Thank you for taking the time to speak for those who can no longer speak for themselves,” reads the form.
All you need to provide is the account’s Twitter handle, and the project will attempt to back up the account “as best as current technology allows.” Then, if the account gets deleted in December, its content will be put up for browsing.
