On Monday, I went into my Verified Twitter Account (@LCJReviews) and decided to put in my birth year. I had never been able to put it in before, because my birth year (1998) was never allowed as an option. When I saw that it finally was, I decided to select it, and once I confirmed it, Twitter instantly locked me out of my account.
I received an email notification stating that my account was locked and that it would be up to them to unlock it. I hit a couple links, which got to me to a page stating Twitter will unlock the account, but there is no definitive timeframe. They claim they will update me on their progress. So far that has not occurred.
Turns out I am one of thousands of young people who have been impacted by this sudden, abrupt change. In May, Twitter announced that no one under the age of 13 was allowed to start-up an account. This is in compliance with new Internet privacy, safety laws out of Europe. However, for those who started-up their accounts before they turned 13 (I was 11), if they put in their official birthday, Twitter would lock their accounts.
Of course, I didn’t know this until after the fact. And I’m not alone. Thousands of people as old as 25 have posted comments, blogs and videos online expressing their frustration with the social media giant, with some claiming Twitter actually tempted/prompted them to put in their birthday before intentionally biting them in the butt.
Most users, they haven’t been able to access their accounts since they were locked (several months ago). Some have found back-door methods of getting their accounts back. Others, eventually, were able to see them again once Twitter reviewed them through their slog of a process.
Twitter has publicly stated they are aware of the ongoing problem that certain people are facing – but there is no clear solution at this time.
To be honest, I’m probably one of only a small portion with this problem who has a Verified account. I have publicly and privately messaged Twitter and Twitter support. I’ve also sent emails and made phone calls. So far, I have heard nothing back.
In the meantime, I’m using an alternative account (@LCJLive) for daily posts and Tweets aimed directly at Twitter – hoping someone there will see them and unlock the account as soon as possible. Please follow me @LCJLive, and if you wish, Tweet to @Twitter and @TwitterSupport to get my account and others Unlocked.
Bottomline – if you started-up an account before you turned 13, DO NOT go in and put in your birth year. Better not to have the balloons than not to have your account.