Twitter has suspended the official account of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, apparently for aggressive following.
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The 82-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate only joined Twitter today, before having his account suspended within a matter of hours:
==>> RT "@JCMaree: help young Desmond Tutu along with followers on twitter @TutuLegacy"
— DJ Fresh (Big Dawg) (@DJFreshSA) August 8, 2013
#desmondtutu “I am an elderly and decrepit. Don’t Tweet me; I’ll Tweet you!” the Archbishop debuted on Twitter.
— Alex Crawford (@AlexCrawfordSky) August 8, 2013
The issue was apparently with aggressive following, despite the fact that the account only followed 30 accounts before it was suspended.
Dear @Support. Official Desmond #Tutu account @TutuLegacy suspended for aggressive following but only followed 30. Please sort out asap.
— Glenda Nevill (@GlendaN) August 8, 2013
This suggests that it may have been a bug or that Twitter may have been overwhelmed by the sudden influx of followers. The suspension comes fresh on the back of news that the Archbishop’s Cape Town home was burgled.
Update: The account has been reinstated.
We're back! Thanks for all the support.
— TutuLegacy (@TutuLegacy) August 8, 2013
Tutu has not been afraid to embrace technology, using Google Hangouts to speak to the Dalai Lama when the Tibetan spiritual leader was denied a visa allowing him to enter South Africa.
Image: Dale Frost (via Flickr).
