PostGhost, a website that archived deleted tweets of verified users has been forced to shut down after receiving a notice from Twitter. Recently launched on July 6, PostGhost captured and stored deleted tweets from all Twitter users with more than 10,000 followers.
From Twitter’s letter to the now defunct website, Twitter said that archiving deleted tweets was a violation of its service terms.
In response, the website in an open letter argued that users able to influence large numbers of people in seconds ought to have their tweets archived. In addition it also argued that the website served as a credible place for people to verify the authenticity of deleted tweets as was seen in two specific cases involving Trump and British politician Andrea Leadsom.
Haven read PostGhost’s open letter, I don’t quite agree with Twitter that saving the deleted tweets of influential people is somehow negating their privacy. Anyone who gets on social media has already chosen to give away a portion of his or her privacy and the moment that person is already famous for whatever reason, social media isn’t the place for them to try to keep or hide anything they don’t want the multitudes of people that follow them to hear, read or see.
it’s laudable that Twitter saw the need to allow Politwoops – a site that archives the deleted tweets of politicians to keep on running, but many athletes, musicians and actors wield far more influence on social media than do politicians. As a result they too should be allowed to say just anything and then try to hide or deny their comments by deleting it.