Viral tweet pranks users into locking their Twitter accounts

Some Twitter users locked out of their account after a viral prank. Image: AFP/Leon Neal via AFP Relaxnews

Since Monday, Twitter users have been getting locked out of their accounts for changing their birth year to 2007 in hopes that the date change will unlock new color schemes.

On Monday, a tweet quickly went viral, saying that “changing your birth year to 2007 makes your twitter feed all colorful.” The users that fell for this prank, unfortunately, found out that changing your age to under 13 locks you out of your account.

https://twitter.com/s_rxii/status/1110265095702097920

After a ream of users locked themselves out of Twitter by changing their age to 12 hoping to gain access to new color schemes, Twitter addressed the issue Tuesday while also offering information as to how to regain access to an account. Basically, you can correct the error by “following the instructions sent after the change was made to your account.”

We’ve noticed a prank trying to get people to change their Twitter birthday in their profile to unlock new color schemes. Please don’t try this. We don't have different color schemes based on your birthday.

— Support (@Support) March 27, 2019

Hopefully, after this calamity, Twitter gets the idea that perhaps users are itching for new color schemes. CE/JB