Twitter replaces egg-shaped default icon for negative association

Twitter has announced that it will replace its well-known egg-shaped default icon for new users with an alternative. One of the reasons given is that the icon evokes a negative association.

Like this writes the American company that ‘an association between negative behavior and the icon has arisen because new accounts without their own image are often used to harass others’. This wouldn’t be fair to new users who haven’t had time to set up an image yet.

Twitter cites other reasons for the decision, such as that a change should help generate “more self-expression.” In addition, the new image should encourage people to choose a different image themselves. The replacement image is only a torso with a floating head above it, both in gray on a light gray background.

In addition, the new image should not arouse an association with a particular gender, according to the service. In another announcement, Twitter announced Friday that it will no longer count mentions against the number of characters available when composing a response.

The Twitter icons through the years