In a surprising turn of events, the recent rebranding of Twitter to “X” has come under scrutiny due to the mishandling of the @x Twitter handle, which was taken over without warning or compensation for its rightful owner. The transition to the new identity, seemingly a favorite letter of owner Elon Musk, was riddled with haphazard steps that have now raised eyebrows and concerns.
The ownership of the @x Twitter handle was confirmed to be in the possession of Gene X Hwang, the owner of the corporate photography and videography studio, Orange Photography. Much to Hwang’s dismay, the company, now identified as X, claimed the handle as its property, leaving him without any prior notice or financial compensation. In response to the situation, a letter was sent to Hwang by the company, thanking him for his loyalty and offering a seemingly token gesture of appreciation—an assortment of X merchandise and a tour of X’s headquarters.
The handle take over is only part of the fiasco
However, the issue of the @x handle was only one part of the larger fiasco surrounding Twitter’s rebranding to X. Reports indicate that the company failed to secure intellectual property rights for the “X” brand, a critical oversight, considering other companies like Microsoft, Meta, and others have claims to various “X” trademarks. Additionally, Twitter neglected to obtain permission from the city before removing the Twitter signage from its building, leading to police intervention. Furthermore, the website and app updates were incomplete, as they still encouraged users to “search Twitter” or “Tweet,” despite the rebranding.
Another surprising revelation came to light when it was discovered that Twitter had not reached out to secure the @x Twitter handle in advance for its rebranding. As a result, Twitter’s account was renamed “X,” but the handle continued to display “@Twitter” until recently.
Gene X Hwang expressed his astonishment at not receiving any communication from the company regarding the @x handle he owned and had set to private, especially considering the corporate rebranding. Although he was open to discussing the matter with the company, he was not offered any financial compensation for relinquishing the handle. Typically, in-demand online usernames command high prices when sold on secondary marketplaces, reaching thousands of dollars. However, Hwang was simply left with the handle being taken from him, a disappointing outcome for its original owner.
From the fact that after seizing, or usurping the @x handle, the company did not offer any compensation other than some merchandise and an office tour, which rather should’ve been at least a few thousand dollars, it is evident that the corporate rebranding of Twitter to X has been marred by a series of unfortunate missteps and a lack of foresight. While it remains within Twitter’s rights to claim the @x handle, the incident has raised questions about fair treatment and compensation for loyal users who find themselves entangled in such situations.
Alls well that ends well
— x (@x12345678998765) July 26, 2023
As news of the corporate takeover of the @x handle spread, Twitter swiftly made its official handle transition to @x, and Gene X Hwang, now using the handle @x1234567998765, tweeted, “All’s well that ends well.” However, this might not be the end of the discussion as the aftermath of the rebranding continues to unfold, sparking debates on digital ownership and corporate responsibility.
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