Twitter takes aim at paid follower services

 

Aussie firm Usocial in the firing line.

Twitter is looking to crack down on services which sell follower accounts to users.

One such company, Australia-based uSocial, said that Twitter is attempting to stop it offering its paid follower service, which allows Twitter users to purchase packages which bring hundreds of accounts to the client as followers.

USocial claims to offer a marketing service which can increase the visibility of a client account, and has suggested that Twitter is trying to shut it down because it is tantamount to spamming.

"The definition of spam is using electronic messaging to send unsolicited communication and, as we don't use Twitter for this, the claims are false," said uSocial chief executive Leon Hill.

2009 has been a banner year for Twitter in which the company has seen its user base and press coverage surge. With that growth, however, has come a myriad of issues for the company.

Over the course of the year Twitter has had to deal with denial-of-service attacks and hacking attempts, to fake accounts and doubts over the company's value as a business tool.

Copyright ©v3.co.uk


Twitter takes aim at paid follower services
 
 
 
 
 
Top Stories
Vito Forte: A CIO for tough times
Fortescue Metals CIO talks vendor management and innovation.
 
Tech staff spared in ANZ's 1000 job cuts
Cost cutting hits middle management.
 
Telstra shifts BigPond email to Windows Live
All data to be migrated to Microsoft cloud.
 
Sign up to receive iTnews email bulletins
   FOLLOW US...

Latest VideosSee all videos »

Latest Comments
Polls
Would you be concerned about your business' email data being hosted offshore?

   |   View results
Yes
  83%
 
No
  17%
TOTAL VOTES: 245

Vote