The practice of acquiring pre-existing social media profiles, specifically those created some time ago on a prominent platform, involves a transaction where ownership is transferred. These profiles often possess a history of activity, connections, and potentially established trust metrics within the platform’s ecosystem. As an example, individuals or entities might seek a profile established several years prior, rather than creating a new one.
The perceived value stems from the belief that such profiles may offer advantages over newly created ones. These advantages can include circumventing initial scrutiny from platform algorithms designed to detect fraudulent or spam accounts, or leveraging the pre-existing network and engagement history to accelerate marketing or promotional efforts. Historically, this practice has arisen in response to platform policies and the ongoing need for users to quickly establish a presence and reach a target audience.
