The @jack handle on Instagram is back up for grabs. Today, Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey, now Block CEO, announced he has deleted his Instagram account — the one with the coveted first-name handle. Typically, handles like these sell for thousands of dollars on the secondary market, so if the handle becomes available again, someone might make a killing by snagging it.
In a post on decentralized social media platform Nostr, Dorsey shared he deleted the account after years of non-use. ‘Don’t know why it took me so long,’ he wrote. ‘I think I was in the first 10 accounts on the platform, and one of the first angel investors.’ He also noted that Kevin Systrom, Instagram co-founder, was his intern at Odeo, which later became Obvious Corporation before becoming the birthplace of Twitter.
Dorsey mentioned that when Instagram was sold to Facebook (now Meta), he stopped using the app — a history documented in Sarah Frier’s book ‘No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram.’ He and Systrom had been friends since working at Odeo together, and Twitter even tried to buy Instagram but was rejected. When Dorsey found out that Instagram was being sold to Facebook for $1 billion, he stopped posting on the app, according to Frier’s book. He hadn’t posted since April 9, 2012 — the morning he learned about Instagram’s sale.
The photo documented an empty San Francisco bus, but many other images from his account are lost to history as well. The handle is now a dead-end: https://instagram.com/jack
The timing of the account deletion is particularly interesting, given that Instagram is now competing in the same market as Twitter with its own version of the app. Dorsey’s decision to delete his handle comes at a time when both companies are facing scrutiny over their handling of user data and privacy.
Dorsey has been vocal about his discomfort with certain aspects of Twitter’s culture, including its handling of user accounts and data breaches. His departure from Twitter to join Block is part of a broader strategy to pivot away from the platform he once founded and lead.
In his Nostr post, Dorsey emphasized that he values free speech and free expression, which are central tenets of decentralized social media platforms like his own project, Masternode. He also acknowledged that he has been "healing some old wounds" in recent months, including the ongoing debate about platform regulations.
The deletion of the @jack handle follows a pattern seen with other high-profile users who have pulled their handles from popular platforms for various reasons — from security concerns to personal choices. Many of these decisions are made under the public microscope, but not all users will publicly disclose the reasons behind their actions.
As more details emerge about Dorsey’s decision, it is likely to spark further discussion among tech enthusiasts and social media users alike. The future of decentralized platforms like Nostr and Masternode remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: Jack Dorsey is no longer part of the TwitterVerse.
Key Points:
- Jack Dorsey has deleted his Instagram handle due to its high value on the secondary market.
- He previously worked at Odeo (now Obvious Corporation) where he was friends with Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom.
- Dorsey stopped using Instagram after its sale to Facebook (now Meta), citing personal reasons documented in Sarah Frier’s book ‘No Filter’.
- The handle is now a dead-end, and the account cannot be accessed: https://instagram.com/jack
- Dorsey has been vocal about his discomfort with Twitter’s culture and data handling practices.
- His departure from Twitter to join Block is part of a broader strategy to pivot away from the platform he once founded.
- The deletion of the @jack handle follows a pattern seen with other high-profile users who have pulled their handles for various reasons.
This article provides a comprehensive overview of Jack Dorsey’s decision to delete his Instagram handle, including the historical context and personal motivations behind it. For more details about the sale of Instagram to Facebook, you can refer to Sarah Frier’s book ‘No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram.’
