It’s hardly a secret Twitter has struggled in the past to ensure only verified users post original content on its platform. However, Twitter isn’t playing around any more. This weekend the network suddenly banned several accounts accused of stealing jokes without crediting creators and for artificially making posts go viral.
The list of banned accounts include@GirlPosts, @Dory, @TeenagerNotes and @CommonWhiteGirl. Most of them posted memes and jokes and some of them had followers in the millions. Many suspended accounts allegedly stole their knee-slappers from other users without giving them proper credit, which often infuriated joke originators in the past.
Moreover, many suspended accounts were allegedly accused of breaking Twitter’s spam policy, which explicitly prohibits users from selling, purchasing or attempting to artificially inflate account interactions. The so-called tweetdeckers is a network of users named after TweetDeck, a Twitter-management app enabling users to post on several accounts at once. According to a recent BuzzFeed report, they used their reach to make money by selling retweets, enabling them to artificially make posts go viral. In February, Twitter changed the settings on TweetDeck so users could only select one account at the time in a bid to discourage tweetdecking.
While there was some lament from users now forced to rebuild their following from scratch, it seems as if the majority of the Twitterverse couldn’t be happier about the purge. Posting under the hashtag #TweetdeckIsOverParty users couldn’t wait to express their excitement. “Wow maybe some people with original content can be famous now,” tweeted the user @williamlopez819.
Agreeing, the user @AlexBlack1980, wrote: “Finally I’m free to unload all my hilarious original material without fear of being ripped off #TweetDeckIsOverParty. Lookout my [eight] followers, prepare to have your sides split.”
This is not the first time Twitter has shown its willingness to change. In October the network introduced new rules to discourage abuse and harassment on its platform and in February it banned thousands of bots. This latest crackdown seemingly shows that Twitter isn’t done with its clean-up. 
