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Twitter may auction off popular usernames, report says

Related Topics: Twitter, Inc., Elon Musk

Twitter may have found a new source of revenue: selling popular usernames.

According to a new report from The New York Times, users may soon be able to purchase usernames or handles at auction. The possible plan comes after CEO Elon Musk announced last month that the site would be freeing up over 1 billion inactive accounts in the near future.

If enacted, the move would signal a change in direction for the company. Twitter has a policy to stop people from sitting on usernames in an attempt to sell them, a practice called username squatting.

Despite the policy, a thriving username black market has existed for years.