On Tuesday night, X, the former Twitter, suddenly took control of one of its user accounts with the handle @x as part of its rebranding efforts. Gene X Hwang, the original handle owner, informed Insider that he had received an email informing him of the change and had been given the much longer handle @x12345678998765. Since 2007, he has owned the @x handle and collected over 53,000 followers on the social media platform. To learn more about what happened, keep reading.
Who Is X Hwang, And What Was His Reaction?
Gene X Hwang is a San Francisco photographer. He claimed that although he had been willing to trade the handle, X had not given him any money in return for his trouble. When everything began, Hwang said, “I thought maybe something cool would come out of it.” “In a way, it was kind of like the fantasy of a winning lottery ticket. You buy the ticket, and there’s some hope that maybe you’ll win something, but you also know that’s probably not going to happen”. According to Hwang, he had been told he could use it to get a Tesla Model X or a ride on a SpaceX rocket. “Some amount of money or compensation doesn’t seem like it would be too big a deal for them,” he said. “I definitely would have accepted something for it, but I also wasn’t trying to extort money or anything like that.”
What Was The Email About?
Insider was able to see the email from X. The email claimed that Hwang had received a new handle because the user handle was “affiliated with X Corp.” Additionally, his followers and posts had been moved over to the new account. The first outlet to cover the story was The Telegraph.
Hwang was informed by the business that he would receive “X merch and an exclusive visit to X’s HQ to meet members of our team.” However, Hwang claimed he had previously visited the company’s headquarters with a friend and said he would be more enthusiastic about merchandise with the Twitter brand than with the X brand.
How Did Twitter Respond?
Elon Musk, the owner of the social media company, announced the company was rebranding over the weekend. He further said that it would replace its recognizable blue-bird logo with a straightforward “X.” The company has been changing the names of its official accounts on the platform. In addition, they have also been continuously refining their new logo. Nevertheless, because Hwang had already registered @x, the business’s main account took a little longer.
Conclusion
Twitter’s acquisition of the @x has not only sparked concern regarding their ethics. But it also sheds light on the nature of social media ownership. While some users stand in support of Musk, highlighting his rights. Some users underlined the need for clear social media guidelines.
Hwang also tweeted from his new handle @x1234567998765, “Alls well that ends well.”
Are you a Twitter user? What do you think about this acquisition by Twitter? Let us know in the comment section below. We await your response.
Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter |
Youtube | Pinterest | Google News |
Entertales is on YouTube; click here to subscribe for the latest videos and updates.