Twitter is eliminating its ads that requested people’s personal information

Twitter is phasing out its lead generation ad format that brands could use to request people’s names, Twitter handles and email addresses. A Twitter spokesperson confirmed the move on Monday. The spokesperson said in an emailed statement: “We are always experimenting with the best ways to help advertisers effectively connect with consumers. At this time, we intend to focus our efforts on building and improving other performance offerings that will help us drive the best performance for advertisers.”The spokesperson did not respond to questions asking why Twitter has decided to eliminate the ad format and what, if any, alternatives Twitter offers for brands that had used it. Twitter introduced the lead generation ad format in May 2013 as a way for marketers to get people to sign up for email newsletters, schedule test drives, request a price estimate, solicit coupons or otherwise establish a direct relationship with a business outside of the social platform. Brands like Priceline, New Relic and Full Sail were among the first advertisers to use the format that automatically sent a person’s name, Twitter handle and email address to the brand once that person clicked a button to agree to provide that information.