Twitter pauses plan to delete inactive accounts

Twitter said Wednesday it was putting on hold a plan to delete inactive accounts amid concerns that accounts from deceased users would be swept up in the purge.

Why it matters: While it's great to see Twitter clearing out the accounts of living people who aren't using them, Twitter also represents an important record of those no longer here.

• "We’ve heard you on the impact that this would have on the accounts of the deceased," Twitter said. "This was a miss on our part. We will not be removing any inactive accounts until we create a new way for people to memorialize accounts."

Twitter had said on Tuesday that it would delete the accounts next month of all those who hadn't logged in during the past six months. In its statement clarifying the policy, Twitter said it was only intended for the European Union, though it will continue to monitor laws around the world to ensure compliance.