Now That Your Public Tweets Are Searchable, Here's How to Delete the Embarrassing Ones While the Library of Congress is keeping the official record, Twitter users now have an easier way erasing their old, awkward tweets.

By Nina Zipkin

2nix Studio | Shutterstock.com

This week, Twitter opened up its archive to the public, making it possible for users to search every Tweet that's ever been published. According to the site's engineering blog, Twitter's search engine has indexed about half a trillion sent tweets, dating from its launch in 2006.

Previously, the entire archive was only available to a few partners, like social analytics platform Gnip (which was subsequently acquired by Twitter in September), the Library of Congress and MIT's new Laboratory for Social Machines, which got a $10 million investment from the social giant in October.

Related: #HashtagFails? 5 Tips That Will Change Your Fortune

Of course, while the public archive can let you look back at conversations around much-discussed topics like sporting events, elections, TED Talks, memes and gasp-worthy moments on Scandal, it also means that your earliest awkward stabs at tweeting can be seen by just about anyone.

But never fear – there is a way to expunge them from the record, if need be. Users can download their personal backlog, and each tweet has a live link back to the original, which can then be deleted.

There are other ways to remove wide swaths of your Twitter history with apps like Delete Tweets, Tweet Cleaning (free) and Tweetinator (paid), or services that require you to sign in with your Twitter account, like Twit Wipe and Tweet Eraser.

Related: Right Business, Wrong Social Media Culture

Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

Walmart Is Laying Off Hundreds, Relocating Others as the Company Closes a U.S. Office

Walmart is giving some employees at least a month to decide if they want to relocate.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Fundraising

How to Navigate Fundraising Challenges Like a Pro and Win Over Investors

Raising capital for your business is one of the most difficult hurdles to success. Here are some helpful tips for meeting these challenges head-on and overcoming them.

Business News

Thieves Steal $40,000 Worth of Eggs in a Massive Trailer Heist: 'Liquid Gold'

Egg prices are expected to continue to rise in 2025.

Leadership

Entrepreneurs Drive the Economy — But Are We Doing Enough to Support Them?

Are we doing enough to encourage innovative entrepreneurs to take risks for the benefit of society at large?

Devices

Savvy Professionals Have Started Trading Old-School Wallets for These

This lightweight security wallet attaches directly to your iPhone, and two of them are on sale for only $55.