Twitter Purges Millions of Accounts Due to Suspicious Activity

Did you lose followers on your Twitter account? 

Social media site Twitter has purged millions of accounts previously locked because of suspicious activity. 

Twitter says “most” people will lose “four followers or fewer,” but prominent Twitter accounts “will experience a more significant drop.”

CNN reports the culling comes roughly six months after a New York Times investigation of a firm that sold millions of fake followers to customers eager to boost their stature and influence on Twitter. 

The move, which Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announced in a tweet, is part of a broader effort to safeguard the platform amid mounting scrutiny over the proliferation of trolls, fake news and disinformation on Twitter, Facebook (FB) and other platforms.

Vijaya Gadde, Twitter’s head of legal, policy and trust, wrote in a blog post Wednesday that many would be concerned about losing followers. 

“We understand this may be hard for some, but we believe accuracy and transparency make Twitter a more trusted service for public conversation.” 

Trimming follower counts carries a risk, however. Conservative Twitter users lashed out at the company earlier this year after a previous purge cost them large numbers of followers.