Twitter Removes Fake Accounts

Category: Business

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. curb / ˈkɚb / (v) – to control something
    Example:

    The cost-cutting initiatives will help curb the increase in the company’s operating costs.


  2. suspicious / səˈspɪʃəs / (adj) – questionable
    Example:

    I reported the suspicious man to the police.


  3. purge / ˈpɚʤ / (n) – a sudden removal of something unwanted
    Example:

    The purge of fake brands has helped a lot of businesses.


  4. net / ˈnɛt / (adj) – referring to the remaining amount after costs and expenses have been deducted
    Example:

    My net salary is low because of the high taxes.


  5. revenue / ˈrɛvəˌnjuː, ˈrev·əˌnu / (n) – the money earned by a company, organization, etc.
    Example:

    Our company’s revenue for this year is higher than last year’s.


Article

Read the text below.

Twitter has deleted millions of fake accounts in an effort to curb social media fraud.


In May and June, the popular social media company reportedly deleted 70 million Twitter accounts, including those found to be bots. In addition, Twitter said that it has been stopping the creation of 50,000 fake accounts daily with the aid of an automated system that can detect suspicious accounts.


Following the news of the purge of fake accounts, the company’s stocks slid by 5.4%. As a result, some investors raised concerns that the deletion of these accounts would affect Twitter’s total number of users. However, Ned Segal, Twitter’s chief financial officer, explained that the deleted accounts were already inactive for at least 30 days.


Despite the decline in stocks, investment bank and financial services firm Goldman Sachs believes that investors should still buy stocks from Twitter. According to one of the firm’s analysts, Twitter’s effort to enhance user engagement can result in a net gain by next year.


On a different note, several marketers believe that the Twitter purge will provide more accurate data, which can help make campaigns more effective. Without the purge, Twitter’s follower count becomes inaccurate, making it difficult to measure a brand’s influence.


Instead of the follower count, marketers prefer to monitor user engagement, such as post views and shares, as this influences revenue. They also emphasized that fake accounts do not boost user engagement, which is why they welcome Twitter’s removal of these accounts. Marketers also hope that other social media platforms, like Instagram, will follow Twitter’s example.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• Do you agree with Twitter’s move to delete fake user accounts? Why or why not?
• In your opinion, which should social media companies prioritize: increasing the number of their users or enhancing user engagement? Explain.

Discussion B

• If you could invest in a social media company, which one would it be? Why?
• As an investor, what improvements would you like this social media company to make? Discuss.