Twitter wants users to update their personal info

Twitter is prodding its users to update their personal settings to create more ways for people to connect on its communications service.

The request will pop up when Twitter users log into their accounts. Among other things, Twitter is encouraging people to allow their e-mail addresses and mobile phone numbers to be included in the service's search index.

To address privacy concerns, Twitter says it won't publicly display e-mail addresses and mobile numbers even if the service gets permission to use the information as search tools.

Some accountholders have already seen the information boxes, labeled "Be found on Twitter."

A Twitter spokeswoman said Friday that the box is coming soon to all accountholders. More than 73 million people worldwide used Twitter in January, up from 6 million at the same time last year, according to the Internet research firm comScore Inc.

The growth is making it more challenging to find and track friends, family and people with similar interests on the service.

Twitter, based in San Francisco, broadcasts people's messages in bursts of 140 characters or less. Users can choose to have all the posts of specific people delivered to their Twitter pages or sent to a mobile phone. But Twitter users must be found before their messages can be automatically followed.