May 7, 2008 2:21 PM PDT

Spammy Twitter accounts to get the virtual guillotine

There are very few rules on microblogging platform Twitter. But if you use it for unsolicited "tweets" about male enhancement products, watch out: Twitter has started to shut down accounts that it has flagged as "spam," reported blogger Jesse Stay.

Twitter employees confirmed the new tactic in their developer forum. "We've been considering this issue here at Twitter HQ, and we're planning on simply removing the accounts of users who have violated our Terms of Service, as opposed to freezing their account as we've done in the past," Twitter engineer Alex Payne explained.

Previously, "frozen" Twitter accounts were not removed, but the owners could not add any other users as followers. They also weren't notified of the freeze. Now, owners of accounts that have been flagged as spam will be alerted in advance and will have a chance to make a case for themselves.

So you'll be able to explain to the Twitterati, however unsuccessfully, that you really do just like to talk about Viagra and cheap Rolex watches all the time.

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Add a Comment (Log in or register) 2 comments (Page 1 of 1)
by chad.armstrong May 7, 2008 3:56 PM PDT
I'm finding more and more unsolicited follow's- and believe me I'm no one special. Can't quite figure out what nefarious plot is behind these.
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by KristianLaliberte May 7, 2008 4:38 PM PDT
Actually, Caroline, I'm quite familiar with the work of Craig Newark. Indeed, I found my first job out of Columbia on his eponymous site.
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  • About The Social

  • CNET News.com's Caroline McCarthy is a downtown Manhattanite who believes that, despite popular opinion, the Web can actually help your social life. She's happily addicted to fun social media tools from Twitter to Yelp to Facebook, sends an inordinate number of text messages, and has a tendency to waste time at the office reading restaurant blogs. Here, she explores all facets of the Web's gregarious side, as well as the unique tech culture in her home city of New York. (Don't call it Silicon Alley.)

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