Twitter // Are you following @POTUS? Did you mean to?

Nessy
Social Media / Technology
Stop following President Trump

Stop following President Trump - nessymon

Inauguration Day, 20th January 2017

I had been following Barack Obama on his personal @BarackObama account on Twitter and also on POTUS account.

After the 45th President, Donald Trump was sworn in, the 44th President’s tweets were archived to @POTUS44. No big deal, Barack is no longer president and he has now gone back to using his own @BarackObama account.

POTUS44 on Twitter
POTUS44 on Twitter – One of the Good Guys

Still with me?

Saturday morning I wake up, check twitter and see tweets from the 45th President in my timeline. I did not follow the new President on Twitter. Here’s the thing, I understand that as the tweets from Mr Obama were archived, I would then be following his account on @POTUS44.

Follow Trump? Er, no thanks!
Follow Trump? Er, no thanks!

I followed Trump as @POTUS?

But, here’s the thing, Twitter automatically had me following BOTH accounts. I’m sure it’s quite apparent to the Twitter people that those who would follow Barack Obama would not necessarily follow Trump. I obviously didn’t want to follow Trump and unfollowed that account as soon as I realised it.

I’ve scanned over the terms and conditions of use, I can’t see anything. If anyone knows of a way that Twitter can automatically have you following an account, please leave a message in the comments.

Already, with Trump lying about the turn out of people for his inauguration, this feels like his orangeness may be a little sensitive about having low follower numbers.

For the past while, the tech world has been full of news about the possible sale of Twitter, the demise of the platform and the regulation of trolls. Inauguration Day was a huge day for Twitter. It’s still the first place I go to for up to the second news but I think it’s important to clarify, if or where it is in the Twitter terms and conditions that the company can follow on your behalf, and in this case perhaps, against your beliefs.

Twitter, I sent you a @ already. I’d love for you to respond to clarify.