X, Formerly Twitter, Seizes @Music Handle From Its Longtime User, Who Is ‘Super Pissed’
As Elon Musk continues Twitter’s confounding rebrand into “X,” the social media platform has now seized the account handle for @Music, much to the chagrin of the username’s original user.
X user Jeremy Vaught shared a message the company had sent him on Thursday, notifying him that the account name he created about a year into Twitter’s existence is no longer his as the handle is now affiliated with X Corp.
“16 years ago, I created @music and have been running it ever since,” Vaught posted on Thursday. “Just now, Twitter / X just ripped it away. Super pissed.”
According to Vaught’s post, X sent three suggestions he could have instead: @musicmusic, @music123 and @musiclover. (All three of those handles — for what it’s worth — are also affiliated with already-existing accounts, though the accounts appear to have been inactive for over a decade.)
Rather than take any of those suggestions, Vaught’s handle is now @musicfan. (Vaught and X did not immediately respond to requests for comment.)
In an interview with Ars Technica, Vaught said that he hadn’t decided if he’d keep posting under the account’s new handle now that @music isn’t his. “Honestly, if it’s not @music, it’s really not that interesting.” Vaught told the publication. He also said he will keep using the platform, but that he canceled his Twitter Blue subscription. “One of my initial reactions was just to close the whole thing down, right? Like I’m just so irritated and so mad.”
@Music replaces what was previously @twittermusic. The account acknowledged the change on Thursday, sharing a post of Ed Sheeran holding his 2014 album X.
Vaught isn’t the first X user who had to take a new handle since the social media platform’s rebrand, that would appear to be… @X, whose handle is now @x12345678998765. X’s switch gets rid of the site formerly known as Twitter’s iconic bird logo as the company’s new CEO Linda Yaccarino said the platform is pivoting to be “centered in audio, video, messaging, payments/banking.”
The handle seizure serves as yet another reminder that the Twitter we once knew is dead. As @x12345678998765 said last week: “Alls well that ends well.”