Thinking about it, I decided the action wasn't all bad. If those services are unencrypted, and operating in a regime that might compel them to disclose information (& hurt activists), it makes sense to delete the accounts. Let the people know they aren't using the right tool for the job. Not only would this act as an impetus for the creation of new tools, but it might directly save lives.

It sounds like Yandex found itself in a similar position here, but failed to act (or whatever). And now people will probably die or be ruined.

If you run a service that people could hurt themselves with, take a moment to think about what will be safe for the user— aside from what you must do to be safe/legal yourself. We live in a world where technology has created a new, more dangerous form of illiteracy.

A phrase that describes it in my mind: "Adults become children when they play on the information superhighway."