Twitter shuts down PostGhost, eliminates record of deleted tweets

PostGhost kept a record of everything validated Twitter users said, regardless if they deleted their embarrassing, or otherwise reputation impacting statements. Twitter sent PostGhost a cease and desist letter, effectively eliminating this public record of stuff people have said, but don't want seen.

Via Tech Times:

PostGhost, a website that archives tweets deleted by politicians, celebrities and other public figures, has barely been around a few days, but it has already shut down after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from Twitter.

For what it's worth, Twitter's decision to issue the letter makes sense. Since the tweets originated from its own site, it's within Twitter's right to censor anything and everything that it wants. Simply put, once we log on to the platform, it's Twitter's world, and we just live in it.

This is what the social media company had in mind when it sent the letter to PostGhost, saying that the public archive violated its Developer Agreement and Policy by recording deleted tweets, and threatened to shut down its API access for doing so.

PostGhost complied with the request, and in doing so, the celebrities, politicians and other public figures who stood to be exposed for their views online come out with a major win. Why? Because, as PostGhost argued in an open letter, the purpose of the site was to provide "a more accurate history of public statements" made by influential public figures on Twitter something the general public isn't afforded the right to know if the tweet gets deleted soon after being posted.

"We believe that for such prominent verified Twitter users, the public has a right to see their public Twitter history, whether or not they grow to regret the statements they've made," PostGhost's letter read.

Original Link: http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/e0yX-IW6loM/twitter-shuts-down-postghost.html

Share this article:  Tweet 

View Full Article