View source for Twitter

{{Short description|American social networking service}}
{{About|the social network|the former parent company|Twitter, Inc.}}
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{{Use American English|date=June 2015}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox website
| name = X
| former_name = Twitter (2006–2023)
| logo = [[File:X logo 2023.svg|frameless|upright=0.45|class=skin-invert]]
| logo_size =
| logo_caption = Logo used since 2023{{efn|The logo resembles the mathematical symbol {{unichar|1D54F|Mathematical Double-Struck Capital X|nlink=wikt:{{proper name|𝕏}}}}.<ref name=":16">{{Cite news |last=Ashworth |first=Louis |date=July 24, 2023 |title=The logo of X, formerly Twitter, wasn't actually stolen |work=[[Financial Times]] |url=https://www.ft.com/content/da262b2a-f39a-466b-9b2f-2f8fa84f0117 |url-status=live |access-date=July 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230724190202/https://www.ft.com/content/da262b2a-f39a-466b-9b2f-2f8fa84f0117 |archive-date=July 24, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite tweet|number=1683301504248061952|user=elonmusk|title={{proper name|𝕏}}|first=Elon Reeve|last=Musk|author-link=Elon Musk|access-date=July 30, 2023}}</ref>}}
| screenshot = Screen of X (Twitter).png
| caption = X homepage visited while logged out in {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}}
| company_type = <!-- Go to X Corp. for the main page -->
| website_type = [[Social networking service]]
| native_clients = {{hlist|[[Android (operating system)|Android]]|[[iOS]]|[[iPadOS]]|[[Fire OS|Amazon Fire Tablet]]}}
| language = Multilingual
| foundation = {{Start date and age|2006|03|21}}, in San Francisco, California, U.S.
| area_served = Worldwide, except [[Censorship of Twitter|blocking countries]]
| founder = {{Unbulleted list|class=nowrap|[[Jack Dorsey]]|[[Noah Glass]]|[[Biz Stone]]|[[Evan Williams (Internet entrepreneur)|Evan Williams]]}}
| chairman = [[Elon Musk]]
| owner = {{Unbulleted list|[[Odeo]] (March–October 2006)|[[Obvious Corporation]] (2006–2007)|[[Twitter, Inc.]] (2007–2023)|[[X Corp.]] (2023–present)}}
| CEO = [[Linda Yaccarino]]
| url = {{URL|https://x.com/|x.com}}
| registration = Required{{efn|Registration is not required to view individual posts accessed via a direct link (not inclusive of any replies to the post or parent posts to a reply) or to view the top posts of some accounts.}}
<!-- User counts reported since May 2022 have been disputed by most independent sources. Current consensus is to fully exclude counts instead of including historical data or stating disputed primary claims factually. See "Reliability of post-acquisition user counts" on talk and bring new numbers to talk first.-->
| launch_date = {{Start date and age|2006|07|15}}
| current_status = Active
| programming_language = {{hlist|[[Scala (programming language)|Scala]]|[[Java (programming language)|Java]]|[[Ruby (programming language)|Ruby]]|[[JavaScript]]|[[Python (programming language)|Python]]}}
| footnotes = 
}}

<!-- "Twitter" is the first word in the lead sentence, per MOS:LEADSENTENCE.  See talk. -->
'''Twitter''', officially known as '''X''' since July 2023, is a [[social networking service]]. It is one of the world's largest [[social media]] platforms and one of the [[most-visited websites]].<ref name="cnbc-kolodny">{{Cite web |last=Kolodny |first=Lora |date=September 18, 2023 |title=Elon Musk says Twitter, now X, is moving to monthly subscription fees and has 550 million users |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/18/musk-says-twitter-now-x-is-moving-to-monthly-subscriptions.html |access-date=September 19, 2023 |publisher=CNBC |language=en |archive-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230918225046/https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/18/musk-says-twitter-now-x-is-moving-to-monthly-subscriptions.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Top Websites Ranking |url=https://www.similarweb.com/top-websites/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210041116/https://www.similarweb.com/top-websites/ |archive-date=February 10, 2022 |access-date=June 19, 2024 |website=Similarweb}}</ref> Users can share short text messages, images, and videos in [[Microblogging|short posts]] commonly known as "[[Tweet (social media)|tweets]]" or "[[retweet]]s" (officially "post" or "repost") and [[Like button|like]] other users' content.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Conger |first=Kate |date=August 3, 2023 |title=So What Do We Call Twitter Now Anyway? |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/03/technology/twitter-x-tweets-elon-musk.html |access-date=August 29, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=October 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231012220459/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/03/technology/twitter-x-tweets-elon-musk.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The platform also includes [[direct message|direct messaging]], video and audio calling, bookmarks, lists, communities, a chatbot ([[Grok (chatbot)|Grok]]), job search,<ref>{{Cite web |title=X, formerly Twitter, opens job search function to all users |url=https://www.hrdive.com/news/x-elon-musk-opens-job-search-function/700391/ |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=HR Dive |language=en-US}}</ref> and Spaces, a social audio feature. Users can vote on context added by approved users using the [[Community Notes]] feature.

Twitter was created in March 2006 by [[Jack Dorsey]], [[Noah Glass]], [[Biz Stone]], and [[Evan Williams (Internet entrepreneur)|Evan Williams]], and was launched in July of that year. Twitter grew quickly; by 2012 more than 100 million users produced 340 million tweets per day.<ref name="Twitter-2012">{{cite web |url=https://blog.twitter.com/2012/twitter-turns-six |title=Twitter turns six |date=March 21, 2012 |via=Twitter |access-date=August 29, 2014 |archive-date=February 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206120727/https://blog.twitter.com/2012/twitter-turns-six |url-status=live }}</ref> Twitter, Inc., was based in San Francisco, California, and had more than 25 offices around the world.<ref name=":2">{{cite web|url=https://about.twitter.com/|title=Company: "About Twitter"|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403002854/https://about.twitter.com/company|archive-date=April 3, 2016|access-date=April 24, 2014}}</ref> A signature characteristic of the service initially was that posts were required to be brief. Posts were initially limited to 140 characters, which was changed to 280 characters in 2017. The limitation was removed for subscribed accounts in 2023.<ref name="Twitter_500" /> The majority of tweets are produced by a minority of users.<ref name=":3">{{cite web|last=Carlson|first=Nicholas|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stunning-new-numbers-on-who-uses-twitter/|title=Stunning New Numbers on Who Uses Twitter|work=[[Business Insider]]|date=June 2, 2009|access-date=January 9, 2021|archive-date=February 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205143012/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stunning-new-numbers-on-who-uses-twitter/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Wojcik|first1=Stefan|last2=Hughes|first2=Adam|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/04/24/sizing-up-twitter-users/|title=Sizing Up Twitter Users|work=[[Pew Research Center]]|date=April 24, 2019|access-date=April 25, 2019|archive-date=October 29, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029223842/https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/04/24/sizing-up-twitter-users/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2020, it was estimated that approximately 48 million accounts (15% of all accounts) were run by [[internet bot]]s rather than humans.<ref name=Rodriguez/>

The service is owned by the American company [[X Corp.]], which was established to succeed the prior owner [[Twitter, Inc.]] in March 2023 following the [[Acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk|October 2022 acquisition of Twitter]] by [[Elon Musk]] for US$44 billion. Musk stated that his goal with the acquisition was to promote [[Freedom of speech in the United States|free speech]] on the platform. [[Twitter under Elon Musk|Since his acquisition]], the platform has been criticized for enabling the increased spread of [[disinformation]]<ref name=":02">{{Cite news |last=Milmo |first=Dan |date=October 9, 2023 |title=X criticised for enabling spread of Israel-Hamas disinformation |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/oct/09/x-twitter-elon-musk-disinformation-israel-hamas |access-date=October 10, 2023 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=October 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010020310/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/oct/09/x-twitter-elon-musk-disinformation-israel-hamas |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=Goswami |first=Rohan |date=October 9, 2023 |title=X, formerly Twitter, amplifies disinformation amid the Israel-Hamas conflict |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/09/x-formerly-twitter-amplifies-disinformation-amid-the-israel-hamas-conflict.html |access-date=October 10, 2023 |publisher=CNBC |language=en |archive-date=October 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231009225415/https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/09/x-formerly-twitter-amplifies-disinformation-amid-the-israel-hamas-conflict.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Lyngaas |first1=Sean |last2=O'Sullivan |first2=Donie |last3=Duffy |first3=Clare |date=October 9, 2023 |title=Elon Musk's X adds to fog of war at outset of Israel-Hamas conflict |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/09/tech/musk-x-misinformation-israel-hamas-conflict/index.html |access-date=October 10, 2023 |publisher=CNN |language=en |archive-date=October 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010001927/https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/09/tech/musk-x-misinformation-israel-hamas-conflict/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[hate speech]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sato |first=Mia |date=December 2, 2022 |title=Hate speech is soaring on Twitter under Elon Musk, report finds |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/2/23489808/elon-musk-twitter-hate-speech-increase-content-moderation |access-date=April 13, 2023 |website=The Verge |language=en-US |archive-date=March 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230319055014/https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/2/23489808/elon-musk-twitter-hate-speech-increase-content-moderation |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=New Data Suggests that Hate Speech is on the Rise on Twitter 2.0 |url=https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/New-Report-Suggests-Hate-Speech-Rising-on-Twitter/645482/ |access-date=April 13, 2023 |website=Social Media Today |language=en-US |archive-date=September 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230925174125/https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/New-Report-Suggests-Hate-Speech-Rising-on-Twitter/645482/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Frenkel |first1=Sheera |last2=Conger |first2=Kate |title=Hate Speech's Rise on Twitter Is Unprecedented, Researchers Find |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/02/technology/twitter-hate-speech.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=September 9, 2023 |date=December 2, 2022 |archive-date=October 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016020133/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/02/technology/twitter-hate-speech.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Linda Yaccarino]] succeeded Musk as CEO on June 5, 2023, with Musk remaining as the chairman and the [[chief technology officer]].<ref name=yaccarino-ceo>{{cite news |last=Frier |first=Sarah |date=June 5, 2023 |title=Twitter's New CEO Linda Yaccarino Has First Day in the Role |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-06-06/twitter-s-new-ceo-yaccarino-has-first-day-in-the-role?srnd=premium-europe |publisher=Bloomberg News |access-date=June 6, 2023 |archive-date=November 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108063005/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-06-06/twitter-s-new-ceo-yaccarino-has-first-day-in-the-role?srnd=premium-europe |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Miller-2022">{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Monica |date=December 21, 2022 |title=Elon Musk to quit as Twitter CEO when replacement found |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-64037261 |access-date=December 21, 2022 |archive-date=March 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230317191421/https://www.bbc.com/news/business-64037261 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=June 6, 2023 |title=Twitter's New CEO Linda Yaccarino Has First Day in the Role |language=en |work=Bloomberg.com |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-06-06/twitter-s-new-ceo-yaccarino-has-first-day-in-the-role |access-date=September 9, 2023 |archive-date=June 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230626134649/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-06-06/twitter-s-new-ceo-yaccarino-has-first-day-in-the-role |url-status=live }}</ref> In July 2023, Musk announced that Twitter would be rebranded to "X" and the bird logo would be retired,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Valinsky |first=Jordan |date=July 24, 2023 |title=Twitter X logo: Elon Musk rebrands social media platform |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/24/tech/twitter-rebrands-x-elon-musk-hnk-intl/index.html |access-date=July 25, 2023 |website=CNN Business |language=en |archive-date=October 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003061153/https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/24/tech/twitter-rebrands-x-elon-musk-hnk-intl/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Elon Musk reveals rebranding of Twitter as X – and what he wants us to now call a tweet |url=https://news.sky.com/story/elon-musk-reveals-rebranding-of-twitter-as-x-and-what-he-wants-us-to-now-call-a-tweet-12926425 |access-date=July 25, 2023 |publisher=Sky News |language=en |archive-date=August 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230801200052/https://news.sky.com/story/elon-musk-reveals-rebranding-of-twitter-as-x-and-what-he-wants-us-to-now-call-a-tweet-12926425 |url-status=live }}</ref> a process which was completed by May 2024. Since Musk's takeover, data from app-tracking firms has shown that global usage of Twitter has declined by approximately 15%, compared to a decline of 5–10% in some other social media sites.<ref name="Hern">{{Cite news |last=Hern |first=Alex |date=March 26, 2024 |title=Twitter usage in US 'fallen by a fifth' since Elon Musk's takeover |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/mar/26/twitter-usage-in-us-fallen-by-a-fifth-since-elon-musks-takeover |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240327074927/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/mar/26/twitter-usage-in-us-fallen-by-a-fifth-since-elon-musks-takeover |archive-date=March 27, 2024 |access-date=May 6, 2024 |work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref name="Fischer">{{Cite news |last=Fischer |first=Sara |date=October 26, 2023 |title=X usage plummets in Musk's first year |url=https://www.axios.com/2023/10/26/x-twitter-usage-statistics-elon-musk-owner |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231027020742/https://www.axios.com/2023/10/26/x-twitter-usage-statistics-elon-musk-owner |archive-date=October 27, 2023 |access-date=May 6, 2024 |work=Axios}}</ref><ref name="Kantrowitz">{{Cite news |last=Kantrowitz |first=Alex |date=October 23, 2023 |title=The Elon Effect |url=https://slate.com/technology/2023/10/twitter-users-decline-apptopia-elon-musk-x-rebrand.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506074532/https://slate.com/technology/2023/10/twitter-users-decline-apptopia-elon-musk-x-rebrand.html |archive-date=May 6, 2024 |access-date=May 6, 2024 |work=Slate}}</ref> The platform has disputed that usage has dropped at all, with Musk saying that membership had grown to 600 million users {{As of|2024|May|alt=as of a May 2024}} tweet.<ref name="smt-600m" /> By October 2024, the platform was estimated to have lost about 80 percent of its value since Musk acquired it.<ref name=cnn2024>{{cite news |title=Elon Musk's X is worth nearly 80% less than when he bought it, Fidelity estimates |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/02/business/elon-musk-twitter-x-fidelity/index.html |access-date=23 October 2024 |work=CNN}}</ref>

== History ==
{{Main article|History of Twitter}}
{{For timeline}}
=== 2006–2021 ===
[[File:Twttr sketch-Dorsey-2006.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|A sketch, {{circa|2006}}, by [[Jack Dorsey]], envisioning an SMS-based [[social network]]]]
[[Jack Dorsey]] claims to have introduced the idea of an individual using an SMS service to communicate to a small group in 2006.<ref>{{registration required|date=February 2011}} {{Cite news |last=Miller, Claire Cain |date=October 30, 2010 |title=Why Twitter's C.E.O. Demoted Himself |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/technology/31ev.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101101065448/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/technology/31ev.html |archive-date=November 1, 2010 |access-date=October 31, 2010 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> The original [[project code name]] for the service was ''twttr'', an idea that Williams later ascribed to [[Noah Glass (Twitter)|Noah Glass]],<ref>{{Cite tweet |number=58275072011542529 |user=ev |title=It's true that @Noah never got enough credit for his early role at Twitter. Also, he came up with the name, which was brilliant. |author=Ev |date=April 13, 2011 |access-date=April 26, 2011}}</ref> inspired by [[Flickr]] and the five-character length of American SMS [[short code]]s. The decision was also partly due to the fact that the domain twitter.com was already in use, and it was six months after the launch of twttr that the crew purchased the domain and changed the name of the service to ''Twitter''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 23, 2010 |title=Buy a vowel? How Twttr became Twitter |url=https://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/technology/1011/gallery.Startup_Domain_Names/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427150243/https://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/technology/1011/gallery.Startup_Domain_Names/ |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |access-date=June 9, 2015 |work=[[CNN Money]]}}</ref> Work on the project started in February 2006.<ref name="Carlson-2011" />

The first Twitter prototype, developed by Dorsey and contractor Florian Weber, was used as an internal service for [[Odeo]] employees.<ref name="Carlson-2011">{{Cite web |last=Carlson |first=Nicholas |date=April 13, 2011 |title=How Twitter Was Founded |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/how-twitter-was-founded-2011-4?op=1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714111059/http://www.businessinsider.com/how-twitter-was-founded-2011-4?op=1 |archive-date=July 14, 2018 |access-date=September 4, 2013 |website=[[Business Insider]]}}</ref> The full version was introduced publicly on July 15, 2006.<ref name="launch">{{Cite web |last=Arrington |first=Michael |author-link=Michael Arrington |date=July 15, 2006 |title=Odeo Releases Twttr |url=https://techcrunch.com/2006/07/15/is-twttr-interesting/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501035557/https://techcrunch.com/2006/07/15/is-twttr-interesting/ |archive-date=May 1, 2019 |access-date=September 18, 2010 |website=[[TechCrunch]] |publisher=[[AOL]]}}</ref> In October 2006, [[Biz Stone]], [[Evan Williams (Internet entrepreneur)|Evan Williams]], Dorsey, and other members of Odeo formed Obvious Corporation and acquired Odeo from the investors and shareholders.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna42577600 | title=The real history of Twitter isn't so short and sweet | first=Nicholas | last=Carlson | work=[[NBC News]] | date=April 14, 2011}}</ref> Williams fired Glass, who was silent about his part in Twitter's startup until 2011.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Madrigal, Alexis |date=April 14, 2011 |title=Twitter's Fifth Beatle Tells His Side of the Story |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/04/twitters-fifth-beatle-tells-his-side-of-the-story/237326/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523231319/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/04/twitters-fifth-beatle-tells-his-side-of-the-story/237326/ |archive-date=May 23, 2019 |access-date=April 26, 2011 |work=[[The Atlantic]]}}</ref> Twitter spun off into its own company in April 2007.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lennon |first=Andrew |title=A Conversation with Twitter Co-Founder Jack Dorsey |url=http://www.thedailyanchor.com/2009/02/12/a-conversation-with-twitter-co-founder-jack-dorsey/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090727073104/http://www.thedailyanchor.com/2009/02/12/a-conversation-with-twitter-co-founder-jack-dorsey/ |archive-date=July 27, 2009 |access-date=February 12, 2009 |website=[[The Daily Anchor]]}}</ref> The [[tipping point (sociology)|tipping point]] for Twitter's popularity was the 2007 [[South by Southwest Interactive]] (SXSWi) conference. During the event, [[Twitter usage]] increased from 20,000 tweets per day to 60,000.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Meyers |first=Courtney Boyd |date=July 15, 2011 |title=5 years ago today Twitter launched to the public |url=https://thenextweb.com/twitter/2011/07/15/5-years-ago-today-twitter-launched-to-the-public/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427150843/https://thenextweb.com/twitter/2011/07/15/5-years-ago-today-twitter-launched-to-the-public/ |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |access-date=May 5, 2017 |website=The Next Web}}</ref> 

The company experienced rapid initial growth thereafter. In 2009, Twitter won the "Breakout of the Year" [[Webby Award]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=13th Annual Webby Special Achievement Award Winners |url=http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/specialachievement13.php/#twitter |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110220215629/http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/specialachievement13.php/ |archive-date=February 20, 2011 |access-date=February 22, 2011 |publisher=[[Webby Award|The Webby Awards]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Paul |first=Ian |date=May 5, 2009 |title=Jimmy Fallon Wins Top Webby: And the Winners Are... |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/164374/jimmy_fallon_wins_top_webby_and_the_winners_are.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225144911/https://www.pcworld.com/article/164374/Jimmy_Fallon_Wins_Top_Webby_And_the_Winners_Are.html |archive-date=February 25, 2021 |access-date=February 22, 2011 |work=[[PC World]]}}</ref> In February 2010, Twitter users were sending {{Nowrap|50 million}} tweets per day.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Beaumont |first=Claudine |date=February 23, 2010 |title=Twitter Users Send 50 Million Tweets Per Day – Almost 600 Tweets Are Sent Every Second Through the Microblogging Site, According to Its Own Metrics |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/twitter/7297541/Twitter-users-send-50-million-tweets-per-day.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/twitter/7297541/Twitter-users-send-50-million-tweets-per-day.html |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |access-date=February 7, 2011 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |location=London}}{{cbignore}}</ref> By March 2010, the company recorded over 70,000 registered applications.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 4, 2010 |title=Twitter Registers 1,500 Per Cent Growth in Users |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/digital/2010/03/twitter-registered-created |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503011352/https://www.newstatesman.com/digital/2010/03/twitter-registered-created |archive-date=May 3, 2019 |access-date=February 7, 2011 |work=[[New Statesman]]}}</ref> In June 2010, about {{Nowrap|65 million}} tweets were posted each day, equaling about 750 tweets sent each second, according to Twitter.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Garrett, Sean |date=June 18, 2010 |title=Big Goals, Big Game, Big Records |url=http://blog.twitter.com/2010/06/big-goals-big-game-big-records.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110213095055/http://blog.twitter.com/2010/06/big-goals-big-game-big-records.html |archive-date=February 13, 2011 |access-date=February 7, 2011 |publisher=Twitter Blog (blog of Twitter)}}</ref>As noted on [[Compete.com]], Twitter moved up to the third-highest-ranking [[social networking]] site in January 2009 from its previous rank of twenty-second.<ref name="Kazeniac" />[[File:Jack Dorsey - TechCrunch Real-Time Stream Crunchup - 2009.jpg|thumb|[[Jack Dorsey]], co-founder and former CEO of Twitter, in 2009]]
From September through October 2010, the company began rolling out "New Twitter", an entirely revamped edition of twitter.com. Changes included the ability to see pictures and videos without leaving Twitter itself by clicking on individual tweets which contain links to images and clips from a variety of supported websites, including YouTube and [[Flickr]], and a complete overhaul of the interface.<ref name=":4" /> In 2019, Twitter was announced to be the 10th most downloaded mobile app of the decade, from 2010 to 2019.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Rayome |first=Alison DeNisco |title=Facebook was the most-downloaded app of the decade |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/10-most-downloaded-apps-of-the-decade-facebook-dominated-2010-2019/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191218120846/https://www.cnet.com/news/10-most-downloaded-apps-of-the-decade-facebook-dominated-2010-2019/ |archive-date=December 18, 2019 |access-date=December 18, 2019 |publisher=CNET}}</ref>

On March 21, 2012, Twitter celebrated its sixth birthday by announcing that it had 140 million users, a 40% rise from September 2011, who were sending 340 million tweets per day.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 21, 2012 |title=Twitter Says It Has 140 Million Users |url=http://mashable.com/2012/03/21/twitter-has-140-million-users/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502191640/https://mashable.com/2012/03/21/twitter-has-140-million-users/ |archive-date=May 2, 2019 |access-date=March 21, 2012 |website=Mashable}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 18, 2012 |title=Twitter Now Has More Than 200 Million Monthly Active Users |url=http://mashable.com/2012/12/18/twitter-200-million-active-users/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714164943/https://mashable.com/2012/12/18/twitter-200-million-active-users/ |archive-date=July 14, 2018 |access-date=December 18, 2012 |website=Mashable}}</ref> On June 5, 2012, a modified logo was unveiled through the company blog, removing the text to showcase the slightly redesigned bird as the sole symbol of Twitter.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rodriguez |first=Salvador |date=June 6, 2012 |title=Twitter flips the bird, adopts new logo |url=https://latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-twitter-new-bird-20120606%2C0%2C2138652.story |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712062434/http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-twitter-new-bird-20120606%2C0%2C2138652.story |archive-date=July 12, 2012 |access-date=May 5, 2017 |website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Gilbertson |first=Scott |date=June 8, 2012 |title=Twitter's New Logo Inspires Parodies, CSS Greatness |url=https://www.wired.com/2012/06/twitters-new-logo-inspires-parodies-css-greatness/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106203523/https://www.wired.com/2012/06/twitters-new-logo-inspires-parodies-css-greatness/ |archive-date=November 6, 2018 |access-date=May 5, 2017 |magazine=Wired}}</ref> On December 18, 2012, Twitter announced it had surpassed 200 million [[monthly active users]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2024}}  In September 2013, the company's data showed that 200 million users sent over 400 million tweets daily, with nearly 60% of tweets sent from mobile devices.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Moore |first=Heidi |date=September 12, 2013 |title=Twitter files for IPO in first stage of stock market launch |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/sep/12/twitter-ipo-stock-market-launch?CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2&et_cid=48826&et_rid=7107573&Linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.theguardian.com%2ftechnology%2f2013%2fsep%2f12%2ftwitter-ipo-stock-market-launch |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801075059/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/sep/12/twitter-ipo-stock-market-launch?CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2&et_cid=48826&et_rid=7107573&Linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.theguardian.com%2ftechnology%2f2013%2fsep%2f12%2ftwitter-ipo-stock-market-launch |archive-date=August 1, 2019 |access-date=September 13, 2013 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>

In April 2014, Twitter underwent a redesign that made the site resemble Facebook somewhat, with a profile picture and biography in a column left to the timeline, and a full-width header image with [[parallax scrolling]] effect.{{efn|It is not documented whether the parallax scrolling effect was added with the redesign in April 2014 or subsequently.}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Savov |first=Vlad |date=April 8, 2014 |title=Twitter redesign looks a lot like Facebook |url=https://www.theverge.com/2014/4/8/5593102/twitter-web-profile-redesign |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310054451/https://www.theverge.com/2014/4/8/5593102/twitter-web-profile-redesign |archive-date=March 10, 2021 |access-date=March 1, 2021 |website=The Verge}}</ref> Late in 2015, it became apparent that growth had slowed, according to Fortune,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Matthew |date=October 25, 2015 |title=What if the Twitter growth everyone is hoping for never comes? |url=http://fortune.com/2015/10/29/twitter-growth/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106173515/https://fortune.com/2015/10/29/twitter-growth/ |archive-date=November 6, 2019 |access-date=September 23, 2016 |magazine=Fortune}}</ref> Business Insider,<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Beaver |first1=Laurie |last2=Boland |first2=Margaret |date=October 28, 2015 |title=Twitter user growth continues to stall |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-user-growth-continues-to-stall-2015-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106173513/https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-user-growth-continues-to-stall-2015-10 |archive-date=November 6, 2019 |access-date=September 23, 2016 |website=Business Insider}}</ref> Marketing Land<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beck |first=Martin |date=October 27, 2015 |title=Revenue Is Up, But Twitter Is Still Struggling In Slow Growth Mode |url=http://marketingland.com/revenue-is-up-but-twitter-still-struggling-in-slow-growth-mode-148852 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160730014029/http://marketingland.com/revenue-is-up-but-twitter-still-struggling-in-slow-growth-mode-148852 |archive-date=July 30, 2016 |access-date=September 23, 2016 |publisher=Marketing Land}}</ref> and other news websites including Quartz (in 2016).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Truong |first=Alice |date=February 10, 2016 |title=Twitter now has a problem that's way worse than slow user growth |url=http://qz.com/614607/twitter-now-has-a-problem-thats-way-worse-than-slow-user-growth/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106173521/https://qz.com/614607/twitter-now-has-a-problem-thats-way-worse-than-slow-user-growth/ |archive-date=November 6, 2019 |access-date=September 23, 2016 |work=Quartz}}</ref> In 2019, Twitter released another redesign of its user interface.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Like It or Not, You're Getting Twitter's Redesigned Website Soon |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/like-it-or-not-youre-getting-twitters-redesigned-website-soon |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210317123902/https://www.pcmag.com/news/like-it-or-not-youre-getting-twitters-redesigned-website-soon |archive-date=March 17, 2021 |access-date=August 25, 2020 |website=PC Magazine}}</ref> {{As of|2019||alt=By the start of 2019}}, Twitter had more than 330 million monthly active users.<ref name="Twitter">{{Cite news |last=Molina |first=Brett |date=October 26, 2017 |title=Twitter overcounted active users since 2014, shares surge on profit hopes |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2017/10/26/twitter-overcounted-active-users-since-2014-shares-surge/801968001/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101193653/https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2017/10/26/twitter-overcounted-active-users-since-2014-shares-surge/801968001/ |archive-date=January 1, 2020 |access-date=December 2, 2017 |work=USA Today}}</ref> Twitter then experienced considerable growth during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Q2 2020 Letter to Shareholders, July 23, 2020, @TwitterIR |url=https://s22.q4cdn.com/826641620/files/doc_financials/2020/q2/Q2-2020-Shareholder-Letter.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022023311/https://s22.q4cdn.com/826641620/files/doc_financials/2020/q2/Q2-2020-Shareholder-Letter.pdf |archive-date=October 22, 2021 |access-date=March 14, 2022 |via=Twitter}}</ref> The platform also was increasingly used for [[Misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic|misinformation related to the pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 29, 2020 |title=Full Page Reload |url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/twitter-bots-are-spreading-massive-amounts-of-covid-19-misinformation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103023130/https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/telecom/internet/twitter-bots-are-spreading-massive-amounts-of-covid-19-misinformation |archive-date=January 3, 2021 |access-date=August 26, 2020 |website=IEEE Spectrum: Technology, Engineering, and Science News}}</ref> Twitter started marking tweets which contained misleading information, and adding links to fact-checks.<ref name="Roth-2020">{{Cite web |last1=Roth |first1=Yoel |last2=Pickles |first2=Nick |date=May 11, 2020 |title=Updating our Approach to Misleading Information |url=https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/product/2020/updating-our-approach-to-misleading-information.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228043728/https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/product/2020/updating-our-approach-to-misleading-information.html |archive-date=February 28, 2021 |access-date=May 28, 2020 |via=Twitter}}</ref> 

In 2021, Twitter began the research phase of [[Bluesky (protocol)|Bluesky]], an [[Open-source software|open source]] decentralized social media protocol where users can choose which [[algorithmic curation]] they want.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Goldsmith |first=Jill |date=February 10, 2021 |title=Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey On Section 230, Transparency, Appeals And Twitter Turning 15 |url=https://deadline.com/2021/02/twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-tougher-regs-would-hurt-all-internet-not-just-social-media-mum-on-facebook-google-antitrust-woes-focused-on-transparency-appeals-1234691610/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306013212/https://deadline.com/2021/02/twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-tougher-regs-would-hurt-all-internet-not-just-social-media-mum-on-facebook-google-antitrust-woes-focused-on-transparency-appeals-1234691610/ |archive-date=March 6, 2021 |access-date=March 26, 2021 |work=Deadline}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Matney |first=Lucas |date=January 15, 2021 |title=Twitter's decentralized future |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/15/twitters-vision-of-decentralization-could-also-be-the-far-rights-internet-endgame/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629004405/https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/15/twitters-vision-of-decentralization-could-also-be-the-far-rights-internet-endgame/ |archive-date=June 29, 2023 |access-date=November 6, 2022 |website=TechCrunch}}</ref><!-- keep in 2021 rather than 2019, when Bluesky was little more than a press release --> The same year, Twitter also released Twitter Spaces, a social audio feature;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rodriguez |first=Salvador |date=May 3, 2021 |title=Twitter launches Spaces live-audio rooms to all users with more than 600 followers |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/03/twitter-launches-spaces-live-audio-rooms-to-all-users.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723023831/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/03/twitter-launches-spaces-live-audio-rooms-to-all-users.html |archive-date=July 23, 2021 |access-date=August 10, 2021 |publisher=CNBC}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lyons |first=Kim |date=May 3, 2021 |title=Twitter will now let anyone with 600 or more followers host its audio Spaces on mobile |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/3/22413033/twitter-spaces-android-ios-ticket-schedule-clubhouse-captions |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810174034/https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/3/22413033/twitter-spaces-android-ios-ticket-schedule-clubhouse-captions |archive-date=August 10, 2021 |access-date=August 10, 2021 |website=The Verge}}</ref> "super follows", a way to subscribe to creators for exclusive content;<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 1, 2021 |title=Twitter launches subscription-based feature "super follows" |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/twitter-launches-subscription-based-feature-super-follows-2021-09-01/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305215513/https://www.reuters.com/technology/twitter-launches-subscription-based-feature-super-follows-2021-09-01/ |archive-date=March 5, 2023 |access-date=November 6, 2022 |work=Reuters}}</ref> and a beta of "ticketed Spaces", which makes access to certain audio rooms paid.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Adi |date=June 22, 2021 |title=Twitter is opening applications to test Ticketed Spaces and Super Follows |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/22/22545167/twitter-opens-super-follows-ticketed-spaces-new-feature-test-application-ios-android |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210701020609/https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/22/22545167/twitter-opens-super-follows-ticketed-spaces-new-feature-test-application-ios-android |archive-date=July 1, 2021 |access-date=June 23, 2021 |website=The Verge}}</ref> Twitter unveiled a redesign in August 2021, with adjusted colors and a new Chirp font, which improves the left-alignment of most Western languages.

=== 2022–present ===
{{see also|Acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk}}
[[File:X logo 2023 original.svg|thumb|upright=.8|The original version of the X logo]]
{{Excerpt|Twitter under Elon Musk|only=paragraphs}}

==Appearance and features==
{{Main|List of Twitter features|Tweet (social media)}}
{{summarize|from|List of Twitter features|section=y|brevity=y|date=November 2023}}

==={{anchor|Tweets}}Tweets===
{{Redirect|Twitter hashtag|more about hashtags|Hashtag}}
{{Further|Mention (blogging)#@ (at sign)}}
[[File:Twitter wikipedia.png|thumb|right|The account page for Wikipedia as of August 2024]]
Tweets were publicly visible by default, but senders can restrict message delivery to only their followers. Users can mute users they do not wish to interact with, block accounts from viewing their posts, and remove accounts from their followers list.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Know Your Twitter Terms: 'Block' vs. 'Mute' |url=https://www.wired.com/wiredinsider/2014/02/know-your-twitter-terms-block-vs-mute/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809173858/https://www.wired.com/wiredinsider/2014/02/know-your-twitter-terms-block-vs-mute/ |archive-date=August 9, 2020 |access-date=July 20, 2020 |magazine=Wired}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Gibbs |first=Samuel |date=May 13, 2014 |title=13 reasons to mute people on Twitter |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/may/13/twitter-mute-unfollow-block-reason-secret-abuse |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119144643/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/may/13/twitter-mute-unfollow-block-reason-secret-abuse |archive-date=January 19, 2021 |access-date=July 21, 2020 |work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=October 11, 2021 |title=Now every Twitter web user can 'soft block' annoying followers |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/11/22721218/twitter-soft-block-remove-follower-web |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211014130113/https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/11/22721218/twitter-soft-block-remove-follower-web |archive-date=October 14, 2021 |access-date=October 12, 2021 |website=The Verge}}</ref> Users can post via the Twitter website, compatible external applications (such as for [[smartphone]]s), or by [[Short Message Service]] (SMS) available in certain countries.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Using Twitter with Your Phone |url=http://help.twitter.com/entries/14226-how-to-find-your-twitter-short-long-code |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100315200218/http://help.twitter.com/entries/14226-how-to-find-your-twitter-short-long-code |archive-date=March 15, 2010 |access-date=June 1, 2010 |publisher=Twitter Support |quote=We currently support 2-way (sending and receiving) Twitter SMS via short codes and one-way (sending only) via long codes.}}</ref> Users may subscribe to other users' posts—this is known as "following" and subscribers are known as "followers"<ref name="lists1">{{Cite web |last=Stone, Biz |date=October 30, 2009 |title=There's a List for That |url=http://blog.twitter.com/2009/10/theres-list-for-that.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130429143525/http://blog.twitter.com/2009/10/theres-list-for-that.html |archive-date=April 29, 2013 |access-date=February 1, 2010 |via=Twitter}}</ref> or "tweeps", a portmanteau of Twitter and peeps.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown, Amanda |date=March 2, 2011 |title=The tricky business of business tweeting |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2011/0302/1224291133449.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023164837/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2011/0302/1224291133449.html |archive-date=October 23, 2012 |access-date=April 28, 2011 |newspaper=The Irish Times}}</ref> Individual posts can be forwarded by other users to their own feed, a process known as a "repost" or "retweet". In 2015, Twitter launched "quote tweet" (originally called "retweet with comment"),<ref name="verge-quotetweet">{{Cite news |last=Porter |first=Jon |date=September 1, 2020 |title=Twitter quote tweets are now easier to find |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/1/21409925/twitter-quote-tweets-counter-retweet-with-comments-interface-ratiod |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228084308/https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/1/21409925/twitter-quote-tweets-counter-retweet-with-comments-interface-ratiod |archive-date=February 28, 2021 |access-date=May 23, 2021 |work=The Verge}}</ref> a feature that allows users to add a comment to their post, imbedding one post in the other.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shu |first=Catherine |date=April 7, 2015 |title=Twitter Officially Launches Its 'Retweet With Comment' Feature |url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/04/06/retweetception/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522133353/https://techcrunch.com/2015/04/06/retweetception/ |archive-date=May 22, 2021 |access-date=May 22, 2021 |work=TechCrunch}}</ref> Users can also "[[Like button|like]]" (formerly "favorite") individual tweets.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Twitter officially kills off favorites and replaces them with likes |url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/11/3/9661180/twitter-vine-favorite-fav-likes-hearts |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171009213148/https://www.theverge.com/2015/11/3/9661180/twitter-vine-favorite-fav-likes-hearts |archive-date=October 9, 2017 |access-date=November 4, 2015 |work=The Verge}}</ref>

The counters for "likes", "retweets/reposts", and replies appear next to the respective buttons in timelines such as on profile pages and search results. Counters for likes and reposts exist on a post's standalone page too. Since September 2020, quote tweets, formerly known as "retweet with comment", have their own counter on their post page.<ref name="verge-quotetweet" /> Until the legacy desktop front end that was discontinued in 2020, a row with miniature profile pictures of up to ten liking or retweeting users was displayed (earliest documented implementation in December 2011 overhaul), as well as a tweet reply counter next to the according button on a tweet's page.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Catharine |date=December 8, 2011 |title=9 Things You Need To Know About Twitter's Massive Redesign |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/twitter-new-features_n_1137850 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817153057/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/twitter-new-features_n_1137850 |archive-date=August 17, 2021 |access-date=August 16, 2021 |website=HuffPost}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=May 27, 2020 |title=Diese Tweets wurden am häufigsten geteilt |url=https://www.capital.de/wirtschaft-politik/diese-tweets-wurden-am-haeufigsten-geteilt |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816205409/https://www.capital.de/wirtschaft-politik/diese-tweets-wurden-am-haeufigsten-geteilt |archive-date=August 16, 2021 |access-date=August 16, 2021 |website=Capital.de |language=de-DE}}</ref>

Twitter allows users to update their profile via their mobile phones either by text messaging or by apps released for certain smartphones and tablets.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Download the free Twitter app {{pipe}} Twitter |url=https://twitter.com/download |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525182821/https://twitter.com/download |archive-date=May 25, 2019 |access-date=July 30, 2019 |via=Twitter}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=August 2024}} Twitter announced in a tweet on September 1, 2022, that the ability to edit a tweet was being tested for select users. Eventually, all [[#Blue|Twitter Blue]] subscribers would be able to use the feature.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Santiago |first=Evan |date=September 3, 2022 |title=The edit button may finally be coming to Twitter. Here's when you'll be able to use it |url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/article265190971.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220901163153/https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/article265190971.html |archive-date=September 1, 2022 |access-date=September 4, 2022 |work=[[The Charlotte Observer]]}}</ref>

Users can group posts together by topic or type by use of [[hashtag]]s – words or phrases prefixed with a "<code>#</code>" sign. Similarly, the "<code>@</code>" sign followed by a [[username]] is used for mentioning or replying to other users.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Strachan |first=Donald |date=February 19, 2009 |title=Twitter: How To Set Up Your Account |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/4698589/Twitter-how-to-set-up-your-account.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/4698589/Twitter-how-to-set-up-your-account.html |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |access-date=February 13, 2011 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |location=London}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In 2014, Twitter introduced hashflags, special hashtags that automatically generate a custom [[emoji]] next to them for a certain period of time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Magdaleno |first=Alex |date=June 11, 2014 |title=Raise Your 'Hashflags': Twitter Reintroduces World Cup Hashtags |url=https://mashable.com/2014/06/10/world-cup-twitter-hashflags/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516165640/https://mashable.com/2014/06/10/world-cup-twitter-hashflags/ |archive-date=May 16, 2021 |access-date=May 16, 2021 |website=Mashable}}</ref> Hashflags may be generated by Twitter themselves<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 18, 2021 |title=Twitter hashflags call out support for the Asian American community: Thursday Wake-Up Call |url=https://adage.com/article/media/twitter-hashflags-call-out-support-asian-american-community-thursday-wake-call/2322671 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516230050/https://adage.com/article/media/twitter-hashflags-call-out-support-asian-american-community-thursday-wake-call/2322671 |archive-date=May 16, 2021 |access-date=May 16, 2021 |website=Advertising Age}}</ref> or be purchased by corporations.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Johnson|first1=Lauren|date=February 2, 2016|title=Twitter's Branded Emojis Come With a Million-Dollar Commitment|url=https://www.adweek.com/performance-marketing/twitters-branded-emojis-come-million-dollar-commitment-169327/|access-date=May 16, 2021|archive-date=May 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516165639/https://www.adweek.com/performance-marketing/twitters-branded-emojis-come-million-dollar-commitment-169327/|url-status=live}}</ref> To repost a message from another user and share it with one's own followers, a user can click the repost button within the post. Users can reply to other accounts' replies. Users can hide replies to their messages and select who can reply to each of their tweets before sending them: anyone, accounts who follow the post's author, specific accounts, or none.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Jay |date=May 20, 2020 |title=Twitter is testing a way to let you limit replies to your tweets |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/20/21265090/twitter-testing-limited-replies-tweets-conversations |access-date=July 14, 2021 |archive-date=November 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109072444/https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/20/21265090/twitter-testing-limited-replies-tweets-conversations |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Peters |first=Jay |date=July 13, 2021 |title=Twitter will let you change who can reply to a tweet after you post it |newspaper=The Verge |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/13/22575998/twitter-tweet-change-who-can-reply-after-you-post |access-date=July 14, 2021 |archive-date=July 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716155656/https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/13/22575998/twitter-tweet-change-who-can-reply-after-you-post |url-status=live }}</ref>

The original, strict 140 character limit was gradually relaxed. In 2016, Twitter announced that attachments, links, and media such as photos, videos, and the person's handle, would no longer count; a user photo post used to count for around 24 characters.<ref>{{cite news|url = http://bigstory.ap.org/article/e80322b79d0d4765a2bcea2b473c9a34/coming-soon-twitter-more-room-tweetl|title = Coming soon to Twitter: More room to tweet|agency = Associated Press|date = May 24, 2016|access-date = May 24, 2016|archive-date = February 6, 2017|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170206121455/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/e80322b79d0d4765a2bcea2b473c9a34/coming-soon-twitter-more-room-tweetl|url-status = dead}}</ref><ref name="New Twitter Name">{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/tech/twitter-eases-140-character-limit-tweets-145347778.html|title=Twitter eases 140 character limit|last=Lever|first=Rob|date=May 24, 2016|website=[[Yahoo Tech]]|access-date=May 25, 2016|archive-date=May 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170509132316/https://www.yahoo.com/tech/twitter-eases-140-character-limit-tweets-145347778.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2017, Twitter handles were similarly excluded.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/30/15115290/twitter-replies-redesign-character-limit|title=Twitter redesigns replies so usernames don't count against the 140-character limit|first=Casey|last=Newton|date=March 30, 2017|website=The Verge|access-date=August 24, 2019|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308123444/https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/30/15115290/twitter-replies-redesign-character-limit|url-status=live}}</ref> The same year, Twitter doubled its historical 140-character-limitation to 280.<ref name="new280limit">{{cite web|url=https://blog.twitter.com/official/en_us/topics/product/2017/Giving-you-more-characters-to-express-yourself.html|title=Giving you more characters to express yourself|access-date=September 27, 2017|archive-date=September 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927000017/https://blog.twitter.com/official/en_us/topics/product/2017/Giving-you-more-characters-to-express-yourself.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Under the new limit, [[glyph]]s are counted as a variable number of characters, depending upon the script they are from.<ref name="new280limit" /> In 2023, Twitter announced that Twitter Blue users could create posts with up to 4,000 characters in length.<ref name="eg-8feb2023">{{cite news |last1=Fingas |first1=John |title=Twitter Blue users can now post tweets with up to 4,000 characters |url=https://www.engadget.com/twitter-blue-4000-characters-tweets-205319437.html |access-date=February 8, 2023 |work=[[Engadget]] |date=February 8, 2023 |archive-date=February 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208212003/https://www.engadget.com/twitter-blue-4000-characters-tweets-205319437.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{Anchor|t.co}}
t.co is a [[URL shortening]] service created by Twitter.<ref name="twitterhelpshort">{{cite web|url=http://support.twitter.com/entries/109623|title=About Twitter's Link Service|publisher=Twitter Help Center (module of Twitter)|access-date=February 23, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110225203154/http://support.twitter.com/entries/109623|archive-date=February 25, 2011}}</ref> It is only available for links posted to Twitter and not available for general use.<ref name="twitterhelpshort" /> All links posted to Twitter use a t.co wrapper.<ref name="twitterblog">{{cite web|author=Garrett, Sean|date=June 8, 2010|url=http://blog.twitter.com/2010/06/links-and-twitter-length-shouldnt.html|title=Links and Twitter: Length Shouldn't Matter|publisher=Twitter Blog (blog of Twitter)|access-date=February 23, 2011|archive-date=February 23, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110223064958/http://blog.twitter.com/2010/06/links-and-twitter-length-shouldnt.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Twitter intended the service to protect users from malicious sites,<ref name="twitterhelpshort" /> and to use it to track clicks on links within tweets.<ref name="twitterhelpshort" /><ref>{{cite web|author=Metz, Cade|date=September 2, 2010|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/09/02/twitter_ipad_app_and_url_shortener/|title=Twitter Tightens Grip on Own Firehose|access-date=February 23, 2011|work=[[The Register]]|archive-date=May 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528103241/https://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/09/02/twitter_ipad_app_and_url_shortener/|url-status=live}}</ref> Twitter had previously used the services of third parties [[TinyURL]] and [[bit.ly]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Weisenthal, Joe|date=May 6, 2009|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-switches-from-tinyurl-to-bitly-2009-5|title=Twitter Switches from TinyURL to Bit.ly|work=[[Business Insider]]|access-date=February 23, 2011|archive-date=March 8, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130308105113/http://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-switches-from-tinyurl-to-bitly-2009-5|url-status=live}}</ref>

In June 2011, Twitter announced its own integrated photo-sharing service that enables users to upload a photo and attach it to a Tweet right from Twitter.com.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 1, 2011 |title=Twitter now with integrated photo-sharing service and completely new twitter search |url=http://techshrimp.com/2011/06/01/twitter-now-with-integrated-photo-sharing-service-and-completely-new-twitter-search/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110630083417/http://techshrimp.com/2011/06/01/twitter-now-with-integrated-photo-sharing-service-and-completely-new-twitter-search/ |archive-date=June 30, 2011 |access-date=June 1, 2011 |publisher=Techshrimp}}</ref> Users now also have the ability to add pictures to Twitter's search by adding hashtags to the tweet.<ref name="twitpic">Mike Flacy [http://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/twitter-photo-sharing-goes-live-for-all-users/ "Twitter photo sharing goes live for all users"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314170140/http://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/twitter-photo-sharing-goes-live-for-all-users/ |date=March 14, 2012 }}, Digital Trends. August 9, 2011. Retrieved August 10, 2011.</ref> Twitter also plans to provide photo galleries designed to gather and syndicate all photos that a user has uploaded on Twitter and third-party services such as [[TwitPic]].<ref name="twitpic" /> On March 29, 2016, Twitter introduced the ability to add a caption of up to 480 characters to each image attached to a tweet,<ref name="hc_420"><!--"hc" means "help center".-->[https://help.twitter.com/en/using-twitter/picture-descriptions Twitter Help center: Picture Descriptions – How to make images accessible for people] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210327204238/https://help.twitter.com/en/using-twitter/picture-descriptions |date=March 27, 2021 }}</ref><ref name="420char">{{Cite web |title=Accessible images for everyone |url=https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/a/2016/accessible-images-for-everyone.html |via=Twitter |access-date=August 31, 2019 |archive-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124225457/https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/a/2016/accessible-images-for-everyone.html |url-status=live }}</ref> accessible via screen reading software or by hovering the mouse above a picture inside [[TweetDeck]]. In April 2022, Twitter made the ability to add and view captions globally available. Descriptions can be added to any uploaded image with a limit of 1000 characters. Images that have a description will feature a badge that says ''ALT'' in the bottom left corner, which will bring up the description when clicked.<ref name="AltDesc2022">{{cite web |last=Lyons |first=Kim |date=April 7, 2022 |title=Twitter rolls out its ALT badge and improved image descriptions |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/7/23015669/twitter-alt-badge-improved-image-descriptions-accessibility |access-date=April 7, 2022 |work=[[The Verge]] |archive-date=April 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408073146/https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/7/23015669/twitter-alt-badge-improved-image-descriptions-accessibility |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2015, Twitter began to roll out the ability to attach poll questions to tweets. Polls are open for up to 7 days, and voters are not personally identified.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=October 21, 2015 |title=Your Twitter Feed Is About to Be Flooded With Polls |url=https://www.wired.com/2015/10/twitter-polls/ |magazine=Wired |access-date=October 23, 2015 |archive-date=October 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019092742/https://www.wired.com/2015/10/twitter-polls/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In Twitter's early years, users could communicate with Twitter using SMS. Twitter discontinued this feature in most countries in April 2023, after hackers had exposed vulnerabilities in the feature.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mashable.com/article/twitter-sms-changes-account-removals/?europe=true|title=Twitter quietly deletes millions of accounts from the old text message days|publisher=Mashable|date=April 28, 2020|last=Binder|first=Matt|access-date=January 6, 2021|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308184107/https://mashable.com/article/twitter-sms-changes-account-removals/?europe=true|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="VergeDiscontinuation">{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/27/21238131/twitter-sms-notifications-disabled-jack-dorsey-hack|title=Twitter turns off its original SMS service in most countries|publisher=The Verge|date=April 27, 2020|last=Kastrenakes|first=Jacob|access-date=January 6, 2021|archive-date=November 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201121200951/https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/27/21238131/twitter-sms-notifications-disabled-jack-dorsey-hack|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Multimedia content ===

In 2016, Twitter began to place a larger focus on live streaming video programming, hosting various events including streams of the [[2016 Republican National Convention|Republican]] and [[2016 Democratic National Convention|Democratic]] conventions during the [[2016 United States presidential election|U.S. presidential campaign]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Twitter and CBS News to partner for live stream of Republican and Democratic National Conventions |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/twitter-cbs-news-partnership-cbsn-live-stream-republican-democratic-national-conventions/ |access-date=July 11, 2016 |publisher=CBS News |date=July 11, 2016 |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427150438/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/twitter-cbs-news-partnership-cbsn-live-stream-republican-democratic-national-conventions/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and winning a bid for non-exclusive streaming rights to ten [[NFL]] games in 2016.<ref name="verge-twitterstreamingvideo">{{cite web |date=April 26, 2017 |title=Twitter plans to broadcast live video 24 hours a day |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/4/26/15430838/twitter-live-video-broadcast-24-hours |access-date=May 12, 2017 |website=The Verge |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427150505/https://www.theverge.com/2017/4/26/15430838/twitter-live-video-broadcast-24-hours |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="ars-tnftwitter">{{cite web |last1=Brodkin |first1=Jon |date=April 5, 2016 |title=Twitter buys NFL streaming rights for 10 Thursday Night Football games |url=https://arstechnica.com/business/2016/04/twitter-buys-nfl-streaming-rights-for-10-thursday-night-football-games/ |access-date=April 5, 2016 |website=Ars Technica |archive-date=April 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405174814/http://arstechnica.com/business/2016/04/twitter-buys-nfl-streaming-rights-for-10-thursday-night-football-games/ |url-status=live }}</ref> During an event in New York in May 2017, Twitter announced that it planned to construct a 24-hour streaming video channel hosted within the service, featuring content from various partners.<ref name="verge-twitterstreamingvideo" /><ref name="recode-twittervideo">{{cite web |date=May 2, 2017 |title=Twitter still thinks it's a TV platform — and here are its dozen new shows |url=https://www.recode.net/2017/5/1/15509026/twitter-live-video-tv-shows |access-date=May 12, 2017 |website=Re/code  |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427150723/https://www.recode.net/2017/5/1/15509026/twitter-live-video-tv-shows |url-status=live }}</ref> Twitter announced a number of new and expanded partnerships for its streaming video services at the event, including [[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]], [[BuzzFeed]], [[Cheddar (TV channel)|Cheddar]], [[WME/IMG|IMG Fashion]], [[Live Nation Entertainment]], [[Major League Baseball]], [[MTV]] and [[BET (TV channel)|BET]], [[NFL Network]], the [[PGA Tour]], ''[[The Players' Tribune]]'', [[Ben Silverman]] and [[Howard T. Owens]]' Propagate, ''[[The Verge]]'', [[Stadium (sports network)|Stadium]] and the [[WNBA]].<ref name="variety-streamingchannel" /> {{As of|2017|alt=as of the first quarter of 2017}}, Twitter had over 200 content partners, who streamed over 800 hours of video over 450 events.<ref name="variety-streamingchannel">{{cite web |date=May 2017 |title=Twitter Pushes Live-Video Deals With MLB, National Football League, Viacom, BuzzFeed, Live Nation, WNBA and More |url=https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/twitter-pushes-live-video-deals-with-mlb-buzzfeed-live-nation-wnba-and-others-1202405236/ |access-date=May 12, 2017 |website=Variety |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427150703/https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/twitter-pushes-live-video-deals-with-mlb-buzzfeed-live-nation-wnba-and-others-1202405236/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Twitter Spaces is a [[social audio]] feature that enables users to host or participate in a live-audio virtual environment called ''space'' for conversation. A maximum of 13 people are allowed onstage. The feature was initially limited to users with at least 600 followers, but since October 2021, any Twitter user can create a Space.<ref>{{cite web |last=Roth |first=Emma |date=October 21, 2021 |title=Twitter is finally letting everyone create Spaces |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/21/22739249/twitter-finally-letting-everyone-create-spaces |access-date=October 22, 2021 |work=The Verge |archive-date=October 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028185411/https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/21/22739249/twitter-finally-letting-everyone-create-spaces |url-status=live }}</ref>

In March 2020, Twitter began to test a [[Stories (social media)|stories]] feature known as "fleets" in some markets,<ref name="Perez-2020">{{Cite web |title=Twitter starts testing its own version of Stories, called 'Fleets,' which disappear after 24 hours |url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/04/twitter-starts-testing-its-own-version-of-stories-called-fleets-which-disappear-after-24-hours/ |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20200305072748/https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/04/twitter%2Dstarts%2Dtesting%2Dits%2Down%2Dversion%2Dof%2Dstories%2Dcalled%2Dfleets%2Dwhich%2Ddisappear%2Dafter%2D24%2Dhours/ |url-status=live |archive-date=March 5, 2020 |access-date=September 27, 2020 |website=TechCrunch |date=March 4, 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 10, 2020 |title=Twitter brings Fleets to India, for 'those uncomfortable with public tweets' |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/social/twitter-fleets-launched-india-6448715/ |access-date=September 27, 2020 |website=The Indian Express |archive-date=November 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128032123/https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/social/twitter-fleets-launched-india-6448715/ |url-status=live }}</ref> which officially launched on November 17, 2020.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hayes |first=Dade |date=November 17, 2020 |title=Twitter Launches Disappearing 'Fleets' Globally After Tests In Select Markets |url=https://deadline.com/2020/11/twitter-launches-disappearing-fleets-globally-after-tests-instagram-snapchat-stories-1234617013/ |access-date=January 6, 2021 |publisher=Deadline |archive-date=November 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128184836/https://deadline.com/2020/11/twitter-launches-disappearing-fleets-globally-after-tests-instagram-snapchat-stories-1234617013/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Newton |first=Casey |date=November 18, 2020 |title=What Twitter Fleets signals about the future of the company |url=https://www.theverge.com/21573380/twitter-fleets-launch-stories-spaces-future |access-date=November 18, 2020 |website=The Verge |archive-date=March 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311140746/https://www.theverge.com/21573380/twitter-fleets-launch-stories-spaces-future |url-status=live }}</ref> Fleets could contain text and media, are only accessible for 24 hours after they are posted, and are accessed within the Twitter app;<ref name="Perez-2020" /> Twitter announced it would start implementing advertising into fleets in June 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lyons |first=Kim |date=June 1, 2021 |title=Twitter's Fleets are getting Stories-like ads |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/1/22461070/twitter-fleets-stories-ads-monetize-instagram-snap |access-date=June 6, 2021 |work=The Verge |archive-date=June 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210606125006/https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/1/22461070/twitter-fleets-stories-ads-monetize-instagram-snap |url-status=live }}</ref> Fleets were removed in August 2021; Twitter had intended for fleets to encourage more users to tweet regularly, but instead they were generally used by already-active users.<ref name="expiringfeature">{{Cite web |last=Heath |first=Alex |date=July 14, 2021 |title=Twitter is shutting down Fleets, its expiring tweets feature |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/14/22577166/twitter-fleets-shuts-down-stories-clone |access-date=July 14, 2021 |work=The Verge |archive-date=August 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803025825/https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/14/22577166/twitter-fleets-shuts-down-stories-clone |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Trending topics===
{{Main|Twitter trends}}
Twitter introduced its "trends" feature in mid-2008, an algorithmic lists of trending topics among users.<ref name=Ohlheiser2022>A.W. Ohlheiser, [https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/07/28/1056535/twitter-trending-misinformation-conspiracies/ Why Twitter still has those terrible Trends], ''MIT Technology Review'' (July 28, 2022).</ref> A word or phrase mentioned can become "trending topic" based on an algorithm.<ref name=Ohlheiser2022/> Because a relatively small number of users can affect trending topics through a concerted campaign, the feature has been the targeted of concerted manipulation campaigns.<ref name=Ohlheiser2022/> While some campaigns are innocuous, others have promoted conspiracy theories or hoaxes, or sought to amplify extremist messages.<ref name=Ohlheiser2022/> Some featured trends are globally displayed, while others are limited to a specific country.<ref name=Ohlheiser2022/>  

A 2021 study by [[École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne|EPFL]] researchers found that frequent "ephemeral [[astroturfing]]" efforts targeted at Trends; from 2015 to 2019, "47% of local trends in Turkey and 20% of global trends are fake, created from scratch by bots...The fake trends discovered include [[phishing]] apps, gambling promotions, disinformation campaigns, political slogans, [[hate speech]] against vulnerable populations and even marriage proposals."<Ref>[https://actu.epfl.ch/news/mass-scale-manipulation-of-twitter-trends-discov-2/ Mass scale manipulation of Twitter Trends discovered], [[École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne]] (June 2, 2021).</ref><Ref>Tuğrulcan Elmas, Rebekah Overdorf, Ahmed Furkan Özkalay, Karl Aberer, [https://arxiv.org/abs/1910.07783 Ephemeral Astroturfing Attacks: The Case of Fake Twitter Trends] (2019), via [[arXiv]].</ref> The ''[[MIT Technology Review]]'' reported that, as of 2022, Twitter "sometimes manually overrides particularly objectionable trends" and, for some trends, used both algorithmic and human input to select representative tweets with context.<ref name=Ohlheiser2022/>

===Lists ===
In late 2009, the "Twitter Lists" feature was added, making it possible for users to follow a curated list of accounts all at once, rather than following individual users.<ref name="lists1" /><ref>{{cite web |date=n.d. |title=Twitter Lists! |url=http://help.twitter.com/forums/10711/entries/76460 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091222223731/http://help.twitter.com/forums/10711/entries/76460 |archive-date=December 22, 2009 |access-date=February 13, 2011 |publisher=Support forum at help.twitter.com}}</ref> Currently,{{When|date=April 2024}} lists can be set to either public or private. Public lists may be recommended to users via the general Lists interface and appear in search results.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 26, 2023 |title=Twitter gets a new 'List Search' feature; Know what it is all about |url=https://tech.hindustantimes.com/tech/news/twitter-gets-a-new-list-search-feature-know-what-it-is-all-about-71685107904610.html |access-date=May 29, 2023 |website=HT Tech |language=en |archive-date=May 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529182915/https://tech.hindustantimes.com/tech/news/twitter-gets-a-new-list-search-feature-know-what-it-is-all-about-71685107904610.html |url-status=live }}</ref> If a user follows a public list, it will appear in the "View Lists" section of their profile, so that other users may quickly find it and follow it as well.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chin |first=Monica |date=March 5, 2020 |title=How to create a Twitter List (and join others) |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/5/21166148/twitter-lists-accounts-add-iphone-ios-how-to |access-date=May 29, 2023 |website=The Verge |language=en-US |archive-date=May 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529182923/https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/5/21166148/twitter-lists-accounts-add-iphone-ios-how-to |url-status=live }}</ref> Private lists can only be followed if the creator shares a specific link to their list. Lists add a separate tab to the Twitter interface with the title of the list, such as "News" or "Economics".

===Moments ===
In October 2015, Twitter introduced "Moments"—a feature that allows users to curate tweets from other users into a larger collection. Twitter initially intended the feature to be used by its in-house editorial team and other partners; they populated a dedicated tab in Twitter's apps, chronicling news headlines, sporting events, and other content.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pierce |first=David |date=October 6, 2015 |title=Meet Moments, Twitter's Most Important New Feature Ever |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/2015/10/meet-moments-twitters-new-feature/ |access-date=July 17, 2019 |issn=1059-1028 |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308204746/https://www.wired.com/2015/10/meet-moments-twitters-new-feature/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Newton |first=Casey |date=October 6, 2015 |title=Twitter launches Moments, its dead-simple tab for browsing the best tweets |url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/10/6/9457267/twitter-moments-project-lightning |access-date=July 17, 2019 |website=The Verge |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308165643/https://www.theverge.com/2015/10/6/9457267/twitter-moments-project-lightning |url-status=live }}</ref> In September 2016, creation of moments became available to all Twitter users.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kastrenakes |first=Jacob |date=September 28, 2016 |title=Twitter opens its Moments feature up to everyone |url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/9/28/13097924/twitter-moments-creation-opens-to-all |access-date=July 17, 2019 |website=The Verge |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308142019/https://www.theverge.com/2016/9/28/13097924/twitter-moments-creation-opens-to-all |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Algorithm ===
On October 21, 2021, a report based on a "long-running, massive-scale randomized experiment" that analyzed "millions of tweets sent between 1 April and 15 August 2020", found that Twitter's [[machine learning]] [[recommendation algorithm]] amplified right-leaning politics on personalized user Home timelines.<ref name="Huszár_20211021">{{Cite journal |last1=Huszár |first1=Ferenc |last2=Ktena |first2=Sofia Ira |last3=O'Brien |first3=Conor |last4=Belli |first4=Luca |last5=Schlaikjer |first5=Andrew |last6=Hardt |first6=Moritz |date=October 21, 2021 |title=Algorithmic Amplification of Politics on Twitter |url=https://cdn.cms-twdigitalassets.com/content/dam/blog-twitter/official/en_us/company/2021/rml/Algorithmic-Amplification-of-Politics-on-Twitter.pdf |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=119 |issue=1 |pages=27 |arxiv=2110.11010 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2025334119 |pmc=8740571 |pmid=34934011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022224400/https://cdn.cms-twdigitalassets.com/content/dam/blog-twitter/official/en_us/company/2021/rml/Algorithmic-Amplification-of-Politics-on-Twitter.pdf |archive-date=October 22, 2021 |access-date=October 23, 2021|doi-access=free  | issn=0027-8424 }}</ref>{{rp|1}}<ref name="BBC_20211022">{{Cite news |date=October 22, 2021 |title=Twitter's algorithm favours right-leaning politics, research finds |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-59011271 |access-date=October 23, 2021 |archive-date=October 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029142358/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-59011271 |url-status=live }}</ref> The report compared seven countries with active Twitter users where data was available (Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, and Spain) and examined tweets "from major political groups and politicians".<ref name="Huszár_20211021" />{{rp|4}} Researchers used the 2019 Chapel Hill Expert Survey (CHESDATA) to position parties on political ideology within each country.<ref name="Huszár_20211021" />{{rp|4}} The "machine learning algorithms", introduced by Twitter in 2016, personalized 99% of users' feeds by displaying tweets (even older tweets and retweets from accounts the user had not directly followed) that the algorithm had "deemed relevant" to the users' past preferences.<ref name="Huszár_20211021" />{{rp|4}} Twitter randomly chose 1% of users whose Home timelines displayed content in reverse-chronological order from users they directly followed.<ref name="Huszár_20211021" />{{rp|2}}

===Mobile===
{{anchor|lite}} {{anchor|Twitter Lite}}
Twitter had mobile apps for [[iPhone]], [[iPad]], and [[Android (operating system)|Android]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Twitter apps for phones, tablets and computers. |url=https://about.twitter.com/products/list |via=Twitter |access-date=April 6, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402195657/https://about.twitter.com/products/list |archive-date=April 2, 2017 }}</ref> In April 2017, Twitter introduced ''Twitter Lite'', a [[progressive web app]] designed for regions with unreliable and slow Internet connections, with a size of less than one [[megabyte]], designed for devices with limited storage capacity.<ref>{{cite web |first=Sam |last=Byford |title=Twitter Lite is a faster, leaner mobile web version of Twitter |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/4/6/15203736/twitter-lite-mobile-web-data-saver |website=[[The Verge]]  |date=April 6, 2017 |access-date=April 6, 2017 |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427150403/https://www.theverge.com/2017/4/6/15203736/twitter-lite-mobile-web-data-saver |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Jon |last=Russell |title=Twitter launches a 'lite' mobile web app that's optimized for emerging markets |url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/05/twitter-finally-launches-a-lite-app/ |website=[[TechCrunch]] |publisher=[[AOL]] |date=April 6, 2016 |access-date=April 6, 2017 |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427151209/https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/05/twitter-finally-launches-a-lite-app/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== X Premium<span class="anchor" id="Blue"></span><span class="anchor" id="Twitter Blue"></span><span class="anchor" id="X Blue"></span><span class="anchor" id="X Premium"></span><span class="anchor" id="Premium"></span> ===

On June 3, 2021, Twitter announced a paid subscription service called Twitter Blue. Following [[Twitter under Elon Musk|Twitter's rebranding to "X"]], the subscription service was initially renamed to X Blue (or simply Blue), and, on August 5, 2023, was rebranded as [[X Premium]] (or simply Premium).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Twitter Blue Seemingly Getting X Rebranding |url=https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/twitter-blue-x-premium-rebrand/ |access-date=August 6, 2023 |website=[[ComicBook.com]] |date=August 5, 2023 |language=en |archive-date=August 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230806003809/https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/twitter-blue-x-premium-rebrand/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=August 5, 2023 |title=X (Twitter) Blue is Dead, Welcome X Premium • iPhone in Canada Blog |url=https://www.iphoneincanada.ca/2023/08/05/x-blue-dead-x-premium/ |access-date=August 6, 2023 |website=iPhone in Canada |language=en-US |archive-date=August 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230806105621/https://www.iphoneincanada.ca/2023/08/05/x-blue-dead-x-premium/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The subscription provides additional premium features to the service.<ref name="Perez-2021">{{Cite web |first=Sarah |last=Perez |title=Twitter launches its premium subscription, Twitter Blue, initially in Canada and Australia |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/03/twitter-launches-its-premium-subscription-twitter-blue-initially-in-canada-and-australia/ |access-date=July 14, 2021 |website=[[TechCrunch]] |date=June 3, 2021 |archive-date=August 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803145616/https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/03/twitter-launches-its-premium-subscription-twitter-blue-initially-in-canada-and-australia/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Jay |date=November 9, 2021 |title=Twitter will now let you pay to undo tweets and read ad-free news in the US |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/9/22766286/twitter-blue-subscription-service-scroll-nuzzel-undo-tweets-ad-free-articles-us |access-date=April 24, 2022 |website=[[The Verge]] |archive-date=November 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110051323/https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/9/22766286/twitter-blue-subscription-service-scroll-nuzzel-undo-tweets-ad-free-articles-us |url-status=live }}</ref> In November 2023 a "Premium+" subscription was launched, with a higher monthly fee giving benefits such as the omission of adverts on For You and Following feeds.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sankaran |first1=Vishwam |title=Elon Musk unveils new sarcasm-loving AI chatbot for premium X subscribers |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/elon-musk-x-grok-ai-chatbot-b2442167.html |access-date=December 7, 2023 |work=The Independent |date=November 6, 2023 |language=en |archive-date=November 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106103524/https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/elon-musk-x-grok-ai-chatbot-b2442167.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Verification of paid accounts====
{{Main|Twitter verification}}
In November 2022, Musk announced plans to add account verification and the ability to upload longer audio and video to Twitter Blue. A previous perk offering advertising-free news articles from participating publishers was dropped, but Musk stated that Twitter did want to work with publishers on a similar "[[paywall]] bypass" perk.<ref name="Roth-2022">{{Cite web |last=Roth |first=Emma |date=November 1, 2022 |title=Twitter discontinues ad-free articles for Blue subscribers |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/1/23434502/twitter-blue-ad-free-articles-discontinued-feature |access-date=November 6, 2022 |website=The Verge |archive-date=November 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221106024523/https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/1/23434502/twitter-blue-ad-free-articles-discontinued-feature |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Peters-2022">{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Jay |date=November 1, 2022 |title=Elon Musk will let you pay $8 to be a verified 'lord' on Twitter |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/1/23435092/elon-musk-twitter-blue-verification-cost-ads-search |access-date=November 6, 2022 |website=The Verge |archive-date=April 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421203113/https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/1/23435092/elon-musk-twitter-blue-verification-cost-ads-search |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Roth-2022a">{{Cite web |last=Roth |first=Emma |date=November 5, 2022 |title=Elon Musk's $7.99 Twitter Blue with verification is 'coming soon' on iOS |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/5/23442149/twitter-blue-checkmark-ios-update-elon-musk |access-date=November 6, 2022 |website=The Verge |archive-date=November 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221106015154/https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/5/23442149/twitter-blue-checkmark-ios-update-elon-musk |url-status=live }}</ref> Musk had pushed for a more expensive version of Twitter Blue following his takeover, arguing that it would be needed to offset a decline in advertising revenue.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Binder |first=Matt |date=November 8, 2022 |title=Can an $8 Twitter subscription bail out Elon Musk? Let's look at the numbers. |url=https://mashable.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-blue-subscription |access-date=November 18, 2022 |website=Mashable |archive-date=November 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118152650/https://mashable.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-blue-subscription |url-status=live }}</ref> Twitter states that paid verification is required to help reduce fraudulent accounts.<ref name="Sawers-2023">{{Cite web |last=Sawers |first=Paul |date=April 21, 2023 |title=Twitter seemingly now requires all advertisers to have a verified checkmark |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/21/twitter-seemingly-now-requires-all-advertisers-to-have-a-verified-checkmark/ |access-date=April 26, 2023 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422231656/https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/21/twitter-seemingly-now-requires-all-advertisers-to-have-a-verified-checkmark/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The verification marker was included in a premium tier of Twitter Blue introduced on November 9, 2022, priced at US$7.99 per month.<ref>{{cite web |last1=O'Sullivan |first1=Donie |last2=Korn |first2=Jennifer |date=November 6, 2022 |title=Elon Musk delays $8 'blue check' Twitter verification plan until after the midterms |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/06/tech/twitter-verification-delay-midterms/index.html |access-date=November 9, 2022 |publisher=CNN |archive-date=November 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108173944/https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/06/tech/twitter-verification-delay-midterms/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On November 11, 2022, after the introduction of this feature led to prominent issues involving accounts using the feature to impersonate public figures and companies, Twitter Blue with verification was temporarily suspended.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Belanger |first=Ashley |date=November 11, 2022 |title=Twitter quietly drops $8 paid verification; "tricking people not OK," Musk says |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/11/twitter-quietly-drops-8-paid-verification-tricking-people-not-ok-musk-says/ |access-date=November 12, 2022 |website=Ars Technica |archive-date=November 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221111162351/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/11/twitter-quietly-drops-8-paid-verification-tricking-people-not-ok-musk-says/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Lerman-2022">{{cite news |last1=Lerman |first1=Rachel |last2=Zakrzewski |first2=Cat |title=Elon Musk's first big Twitter product paused after fake accounts spread |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/11/twitter-fake-verified-accounts/ |access-date=November 17, 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=November 11, 2022 |archive-date=November 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116185810/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/11/twitter-fake-verified-accounts/ |url-status=live }}</ref> After about a month, Twitter Blue was relaunched on December 12, 2022, though for those purchasing the service through the [[App Store (iOS/iPadOS)|iOS app store]], the cost will be $10.99 a month as to offset the 30% revenue split that Apple takes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/12/12/1139619598/twitter-blue-relaunch |title=Elon Musk relaunches Twitter Blue with higher price for iPhone users |first=Bobby |last=Allyn |date=December 12, 2022 |access-date=December 12, 2022 |publisher=[[NPR]] |archive-date=December 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221212100741/https://www.npr.org/2022/12/12/1139619598/twitter-blue-relaunch |url-status=live }}</ref>

Twitter initially grandfathered users and entities that had gained verification due to their status as public figures, referring to them as "legacy verified accounts" that "may or may not be notable".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Silberling |first=Amanda |date=December 8, 2022 |title=Schrödinger's blue check: According to Twitter, I may or may not be notable |url=https://techcrunch.com/2022/12/08/schrodingers-blue-check-according-to-twitter-i-may-or-may-not-be-notable/ |access-date=March 28, 2023 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328041941/https://techcrunch.com/2022/12/08/schrodingers-blue-check-according-to-twitter-i-may-or-may-not-be-notable/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On March 25, 2023, it was announced that "legacy" verification status would be removed; a subscription will be required to retain verified status, costing $1,000 per-month for organizations (which are designated with a gold verified symbol),<ref name="Sawers-2023" /> plus an additional $50 for each "affiliate".<ref name="Gans-2023">{{Cite web |last=Gans |first=Jared |date=March 25, 2023 |title=Twitter to start phasing out legacy verification system on April 1, but not all will lose blue checks |url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/3917564-twitter-to-start-phasing-out-legacy-verification-system-on-april-1-but-not-all-will-lose-blue-checks/ |access-date=March 28, 2023 |website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |publisher=[[Nexstar Media Group|Nexstar Media, Inc.]] |language=en-US |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328041941/https://thehill.com/policy/technology/3917564-twitter-to-start-phasing-out-legacy-verification-system-on-april-1-but-not-all-will-lose-blue-checks/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Spangler-2023">{{cite web |last1=Spangler |first1=Todd |title=Twitter to Revoke 'Legacy' Verified Badges in April, Leaving Only Paying Subscribers With Blue Check-Marks |url=https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/twitter-revokes-legacy-verification-blue-checkmarks-april-1235561515/ |website=Variety |date=March 23, 2023 |access-date=March 24, 2023 |archive-date=March 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330193235/https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/twitter-revokes-legacy-verification-blue-checkmarks-april-1235561515/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The change was originally scheduled for April 1, 2023, but was delayed to April 20, 2023, following criticism of the changes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goswami |first=Rohan |title=Twitter finally removes legacy verification check marks |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/20/twitter-finally-removes-legacy-verification-checkmarks.html |access-date=April 25, 2023 |publisher=CNBC |date=April 20, 2023 |language=en |archive-date=April 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425065451/https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/20/twitter-finally-removes-legacy-verification-checkmarks.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Musk also announced plans for the "For You" timeline to prioritize verified accounts and user followers only beginning April 15, 2023, and threatened to only allow verified users to participate in polls (although the latter change has yet to occur).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schroeder |first=Stan |date=April 25, 2023 |title=Elon Musk says verified Twitter accounts are now prioritized, whatever that means |url=https://mashable.com/article/twitter-verified-accounts-prioritized-elon-musk |access-date=April 25, 2023 |website=Mashable |language=en |archive-date=April 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425091238/https://mashable.com/article/twitter-verified-accounts-prioritized-elon-musk |url-status=live }}</ref>

Effective April 21, 2023, Twitter requires companies to participate in the verified organizations program to purchase advertising on the platform, although companies that spend at least $1,000 on advertising per-month automatically receive membership in the program at no additional cost.<ref name="Sawers-2023" />

From April 25, 2023, verified users are now prioritized in replies to tweets.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schroeder |first=Stan |date=April 25, 2023 |title=Elon Musk says verified Twitter accounts are now prioritized, whatever that means |url=https://mashable.com/article/twitter-verified-accounts-prioritized-elon-musk |access-date=April 30, 2023 |website=Mashable |language=en |archive-date=April 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425091238/https://mashable.com/article/twitter-verified-accounts-prioritized-elon-musk |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Kaustubh-2023">{{Cite news |date=March 20, 2023 |title=Twitter to prioritise replies from followed and verified users |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/gadgets-news/twitter-to-prioritise-replies-from-followed-and-verified-users/articleshow/98812436.cms |access-date=July 21, 2023 |issn=0971-8257 |archive-date=July 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721220058/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/gadgets-news/twitter-to-prioritise-replies-from-followed-and-verified-users/articleshow/98812436.cms |url-status=live }}</ref>

===User monetization===
In June 2021, the company opened applications for its premium subscription options called Super Follows. This lets eligible accounts charge $2.99, $4.99 or $9.99 per month to subscribe to the account.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hatmaker |first1=Taylor |date=September 1, 2021 |title=Twitter rolls out paid subscription 'Super Follows' to let you cash in on your tweets |publisher=Tech Crunch |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/01/twitter-super-follows-monetization/ |access-date=September 28, 2021 |archive-date=September 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909122815/https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/01/twitter-super-follows-monetization/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The launch only generated about $6,000 in its first two weeks.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Perez |first1=Sarah |date=September 12, 2021 |title=Twitter Super Follows has generated only around $6k+ in its first two weeks |publisher=Tech Crunch |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/16/twitter-super-follows-has-generated-only-around-6k-in-its-first-two-weeks/ |access-date=September 28, 2021 |archive-date=September 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928220215/https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/16/twitter-super-follows-has-generated-only-around-6k-in-its-first-two-weeks/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2023, the Super Follows feature was rebranded as simply "subscriptions", allowing users to publish exclusive long-form posts and videos for their subscribers; the pivot in marketing was reportedly intended to help compete with [[Substack]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Twitter replaces 'Super Follows' with 'Subscriptions' |url=https://www.engadget.com/twitter-replaces-super-follows-with-subscriptions-203711756.html |access-date=April 25, 2023 |website=Engadget |date=April 14, 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=April 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425150517/https://www.engadget.com/twitter-replaces-super-follows-with-subscriptions-203711756.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In May 2021, Twitter began testing a Tip Jar feature on its iOS and Android clients. The feature allows users to send monetary tips to certain accounts, providing a financial incentive for content creators on the platform. The Tip Jar is optional and users can choose whether or not to enable tips for their account.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gartenberg |first=Chaim |date=March 6, 2021 |title=Twitter is testing a new Tip Jar feature for sending money to your favorite accounts |work=The Verge |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/6/22423583/twitter-tip-jar-feature-sending-money-venmo-cashapp |access-date=May 7, 2021 |archive-date=May 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506235512/https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/6/22423583/twitter-tip-jar-feature-sending-money-venmo-cashapp |url-status=live }}</ref> On September 23, 2021, Twitter announced that it will allow users to tip users on the social network with [[bitcoin]]. The feature will be available for iOS users. Previously, users could tip with fiat currency using services such as Square's [[Cash App]] and PayPal's [[Venmo]]. Twitter will integrate the Strike bitcoin lightning wallet service. It was noted that at this current time, Twitter will not take a cut of any money sent through the tips feature.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rodriguez |first=Salvador |date=September 23, 2021 |title=You can now get paid in bitcoin to use Twitter |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/23/you-can-now-get-paid-in-bitcoin-to-use-twitter.html |access-date=September 23, 2021 |publisher=CNBC |archive-date=September 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924184618/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/23/you-can-now-get-paid-in-bitcoin-to-use-twitter.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

On August 27, 2021, Twitter rolled out Ticketed Spaces, which let Twitter Spaces hosts charge between $1 and $999 for access to their rooms.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Carman |first1=Ashley |date=August 27, 2021 |title=Twitter starts launching Ticketed Spaces for some iOS users |publisher=The Verge |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/27/22644283/twitter-ticketed-spaces-live-audio-test |access-date=September 28, 2021 |archive-date=September 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929001639/https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/27/22644283/twitter-ticketed-spaces-live-audio-test |url-status=live }}</ref> In April 2022, Twitter announced that it will partner with [[Stripe, Inc.]] for piloting cryptocurrency payouts for limited users in the platform. Eligible users of Ticketed Spaces and Super Follows will be able to receive their earnings in the form of USD coin, a stablecoin whose value is that of the U.S. dollar. Users can also hold their earnings in crypto wallets, and then exchange them into other cryptocurrencies.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mattackal |first=Lisa Pauline |date=April 22, 2022 |title=Twitter, Stripe pilot cryptocurrency payments for creators |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/twitter-stripe-pilot-cryptocurrency-payments-creators-2022-04-22/ |access-date=April 24, 2022 |archive-date=April 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426140949/https://www.reuters.com/technology/twitter-stripe-pilot-cryptocurrency-payments-creators-2022-04-22/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== E-commerce ===

From 2014 to 2017, Twitter offered a "Buy button" feature, allowing tweets to embed products that could be purchased from within the service. Users could also add their billing and shipping information directly to their accounts. The buy button's platform partners at launch included [[Stripe, Inc.|Stripe]], [[Gumroad]], [[Musictoday]], and [[The Fancy]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Popper |first=Ben |date=September 8, 2014 |title=You can now buy things directly on Twitter |url=https://www.theverge.com/2014/9/8/6120079/twitter-commerce-buy-button |access-date=November 6, 2022 |website=The Verge |archive-date=November 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221106024525/https://www.theverge.com/2014/9/8/6120079/twitter-commerce-buy-button |url-status=live }}</ref>

In July 2021, Twitter began testing a "Shop module" for iOS users in the United States, allowing accounts associated with brands to display a carousel of cards on their profiles showcasing products. Unlike the Buy button, where order fulfillment was handed from within Twitter, these cards are external links to online storefronts from which the products may be purchased.<ref>{{cite news |last=Porter |first=Jon |date=July 28, 2021 |title=Twitter pilots a new shopping section for brands |work=The Verge |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/28/22597576/twitter-shopping-module-pilot-gamestop-arden-cove-brands |access-date=July 28, 2021 |archive-date=July 31, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210731090527/https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/28/22597576/twitter-shopping-module-pilot-gamestop-arden-cove-brands |url-status=live }}</ref> In March 2022, Twitter expanded the test to allow companies to showcase up to 50 products on their profiles.<ref>{{cite web |date=March 10, 2022 |title=Twitter begins testing 'Shops' feature to grow ecommerce |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/2347271/twitter-begins-testing-shops-feature-to-grow-ecommerce |access-date=March 10, 2022 |website=The Express Tribune |archive-date=March 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220310110855/https://tribune.com.pk/story/2347271/twitter-begins-testing-shops-feature-to-grow-ecommerce |url-status=live }}</ref>

In November 2021, Twitter introduced support for "shoppable" live streams, in which brands can hold streaming events that similarly display banners and pages highlighting products that are featured in the presentation.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 22, 2021 |title=Walmart will be the first retailer to test Twitter's new livestream shopping platform |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/11/22/walmart-will-be-the-first-retailer-to-test-twitters-new-livestream-shopping-platform/ |access-date=December 2, 2021 |website=TechCrunch |archive-date=December 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203150659/https://techcrunch.com/2021/11/22/walmart-will-be-the-first-retailer-to-test-twitters-new-livestream-shopping-platform/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Usage==
{{Main|Twitter usage}}

Daily user estimates vary as the company does not publish statistics on active accounts. A February 2009 [[Compete.com]] blog entry ranked Twitter as the third most used social network based on their count of 6 million unique monthly visitors and 55 million monthly visits.<ref name="Kazeniac">{{cite news|author=Kazeniac, Andy|title=Social Networks: Facebook Takes Over Top Spot, Twitter Climbs|url=http://blog.compete.com/2009/02/09/facebook-myspace-twitter-social-network/|date=February 9, 2009|publisher=[[Compete.com]]|access-date=February 17, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721111825/http://blog.compete.com/2009/02/09/facebook-myspace-twitter-social-network/|archive-date=July 21, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> An April 2017 a [[statista.com]] blog entry ranked Twitter as the tenth most used social network based on their count of 319 million monthly visitors.<ref>{{cite web|title=Global Social Networks Ranked by Number of Users|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/|website=Statista|access-date=June 18, 2017|archive-date=January 29, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129042041/https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/|url-status=live}}</ref> Its global user base in 2017 was 328 million.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/07/27/technology/business/twitter-earnings/index.html|title=Twitter is now losing users in the U.S.|last=Fiegerman|first=Seth|work=CNNMoney|access-date=March 23, 2018|archive-date=April 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427150605/https://money.cnn.com/2017/07/27/technology/business/twitter-earnings/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Musk, the platform had 500 million monthly active users in March 2023, 550 million in March 2024, and 600 million in May 2024.<ref name="smt-600m">{{Cite web |title=Elon Musk Says X Now Has 600M Monthly Active Users |url=https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/elon-musk-x-now-600-million-monthly-active-users/717078/ |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=Social Media Today |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Musk Says X Has 600 Million Monthly Active Users |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/tech-and-telecom-law/musk-says-x-has-600-million-monthly-active-users |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=news.bloomberglaw.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Sarah |date=2024-06-03 |title=You can now customize your For You feed on Threads using swipes |url=https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/03/you-can-now-customize-your-for-you-feed-on-threads-using-swipes/ |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Demographics===
{{see also|Black Twitter}}
In 2009, Twitter was mainly used by older adults who might not have used other social sites before Twitter.<ref name="teensdonttweet">{{cite news |first=Claire Cain |last=Miller |title=Who's Driving Twitter's Popularity? Not Teens |date=August 25, 2009 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/technology/internet/26twitter.html |access-date=September 18, 2009 |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427151114/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/technology/internet/26twitter.html |url-status=live }}</ref> According to [[comScore]] only 11% of Twitter's users were aged 12 to 17.<ref name="teensdonttweet" /> According to a study by [[Sysomos]] in June 2009, women made up a slightly larger Twitter demographic than men—53% over 47%. It also stated that 5% of users accounted for 75% of all activity.<ref>{{cite web| author=Cheng, Alex| author2=Evans, Mark| title=Inside Twitter – An In-Depth Look Inside the Twitter World| date=June 2009| url=http://www.sysomos.com/insidetwitter/| publisher=[[Sysomos]]| access-date=February 23, 2011| archive-date=April 3, 2023| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230403225641/https://www.sysomos.com/insidetwitter/| url-status=live}}</ref> According to Quancast, 27 million people in the US used Twitter in September 2009; 63% of Twitter users were under 35 years old; 60% of Twitter users were Caucasian, but a higher than average (compared to other Internet properties) were African American/black (16%) and Hispanic (11%); 58% of Twitter users have a total household income of at least US$60,000.<ref>{{cite web|author=Bluff, Brian |title=Who Uses Twitter? |date=May 2010 |url=http://www.site-seeker.com/_blogs/who-uses-twitter-demographic/ |publisher=site-seeker.com |access-date=September 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531203517/http://www.site-seeker.com/_blogs/who-uses-twitter-demographic/ |archive-date=May 31, 2010}}</ref> The prevalence of African American Twitter usage and in many popular hashtags has been the subject of research studies.<ref>{{cite web |first=Adrian |last=Chen |title=Why So Many Black People Are On Twitter |url=http://gawker.com/5802772/why-so-many-black-people-are-on-twitter |website=[[Gawker]] |publisher=[[Univision Communications]] |date=May 17, 2011 |access-date=May 5, 2017 |archive-date=May 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511014501/https://gawker.com/5802772/why-so-many-black-people-are-on-twitter |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Nick |last=Saint |title=Why Is Twitter More Popular With Black People Than White People? |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-study-results-2010-4 |website=[[Business Insider]] |publisher=[[Axel Springer SE]] |date=April 30, 2010 |access-date=May 5, 2017 |archive-date=April 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410171509/https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-study-results-2010-4 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Twitter grew from 100 million monthly active users (MAUs) in September 2011,<ref>{{cite web |date=September 8, 2011 |last=Taylor |first=Chris |url=http://mashable.com/2011/09/08/twitter-has-100-million-active-users/ |title=Twitter has 100 million active users |website=[[Mashable]] |access-date=September 16, 2011 |archive-date=April 20, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420161305/http://mashable.com/2011/09/08/twitter-has-100-million-active-users/ |url-status=live }}</ref> to 255 million in March 2014,<ref name="investor.twitterinc.com">{{cite web |title=Twitter Reports First Quarter 2014 Results |url=https://investor.twitterinc.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=843245 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140609003245/https://investor.twitterinc.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=843245 |archive-date=June 9, 2014 |access-date=June 9, 2014}}</ref> and more than 330 million in early 2019.<ref>Evette Alexander, [https://knightfoundation.org/articles/polarization-in-the-twittersphere-what-86-million-tweets-reveal-about-the-political-makeup-of-american-twitter-users-and-how-they-engage-with-news Polarization in the Twittersphere: What 86 million tweets reveal about the political makeup of American Twitter users and how they engage with news] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607204955/https://knightfoundation.org/articles/polarization-in-the-twittersphere-what-86-million-tweets-reveal-about-the-political-makeup-of-american-twitter-users-and-how-they-engage-with-news/ |date=June 7, 2021 }} Knight Foundation/</ref><ref>Deen Freelon Associate Professor in the Hussman School of Journalism and Media, [https://knightfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/KF-Twitter-Report-Part1-v6.pdf Tweeting Left, Right & Center: How users and attention are distributed across Twitter] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801171351/https://knightfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/KF-Twitter-Report-Part1-v6.pdf |date=August 1, 2021 }}, Knight Foundation.</ref><ref name="Twitter" /> In 2013, there were over 100 million users actively using Twitter daily and about 500 million tweets every day.<ref>{{cite web |title=Twitter, Inc Common Stock |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1418091/000119312513390321/d564001ds1.htm#toc564001_1 |access-date=June 9, 2014 |archive-date=November 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191107163510/https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1418091/000119312513390321/d564001ds1.htm#toc564001_1 |url-status=live }}</ref> A 2016 [[Pew Research Center|Pew research poll]] found that Twitter is used by 24% of all online US adults. It was equally popular with men and women (24% and 25% of online Americans respectively), but more popular with younger generations (36% of 18–29-year olds).<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/11/11/social-media-update-2016/|title=Social Media Update 2016|date=November 11, 2016|work=Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech|access-date=March 23, 2018|archive-date=October 29, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029034937/https://www.pewinternet.org/2016/11/11/social-media-update-2016/|url-status=live}}</ref> A 2019 survey conducted by the [[The Pew Charitable Trusts|Pew Foundation]] found that Twitter users are three times as likely to be younger than 50 years old, with the median age of adult U.S. users being 40. The survey found that 10% of users who are most active on Twitter are responsible for 80% of all tweets.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sizing Up Twitter Users|date=April 24, 2019|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/04/24/sizing-up-twitter-users/|publisher=Pew Research Center|first1=Stefan|last1=Wojcik|first2=Adam|last2=Hughes|access-date=January 9, 2021|archive-date=October 29, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029223842/https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/04/24/sizing-up-twitter-users/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Content ===
[[File:Content of Tweets.svg|thumb|Content of tweets according to Pear Analytics in August 2009
{{legend|#093|News (3.6%)}}
{{legend|#90c|Spam (3.8%)}}
{{legend|#f90|Self-promotion (6%)}}
{{legend|#933|Pointless babble (40%)}}
{{legend|#1e1edc|Conversational (38%)}}
{{legend|#660|Pass-along value (8.7%)}}]]

[[San Antonio]]-based market-research firm Pear Analytics analyzed 2,000 tweets (originating from the United States and in English) over a two-week period in August 2009 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm (CST) and separated them into six categories.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.pearanalytics.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Twitter-Study-August-2009.pdf |title=Twitter Study Reveals Interesting Results About Usage |date=August 12, 2009 |publisher=Pear Analytics |editor-last=Kelly |editor-first=Ryan |place=San Antonio, Texas |contribution=Twitter Study – August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715062407/http://www.pearanalytics.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Twitter-Study-August-2009.pdf |archive-date=July 15, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Small talk|Pointless babble]] made up 40%, with 38% being conversational. Pass-along value had 9%, self-promotion 6% with [[Spam (electronic)|spam]] and news each making 4%.

Despite Jack Dorsey's own open contention that a message on Twitter is "a short burst of inconsequential information", social networking researcher [[danah boyd]] responded to the Pear Analytics survey by arguing that what the Pear researchers labeled "pointless babble" is better characterized as "[[social grooming]]" or "peripheral awareness" (which she justifies as persons "want[ing] to know what the people around them are thinking and doing and feeling, even when co-presence isn't viable").<ref>{{cite web |last=boyd |first=danah |author-link=danah boyd |date=August 16, 2009 |title=Twitter: "pointless babble" or peripheral awareness + social grooming? |url=http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2009/08/16/twitter_pointle.html |access-date=September 19, 2009 |archive-date=March 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307161918/http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2009/08/16/twitter_pointle.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Similarly, a survey of Twitter users found that a more specific social role of passing along messages that include a hyperlink is an expectation of reciprocal linking by followers.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Avery Holton |author2=Kang Baek |author3=Mark Coddington |author4=Yaschur |author5=Carolyn |year=2014 |title=Seeking and Sharing: Motivations for Linking on Twitter |journal=Communication Research Reports |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=33–40 |doi=10.1080/08824096.2013.843165 |s2cid=143390964 }}</ref>

=== Levels of use ===
According to research published in April 2014, around 44% of user accounts have never tweeted.<ref>{{cite news |author=Murphy, David |date=April 13, 2014 |title=44 Percent of Twitter Accounts Have Never Tweeted |work=PC Magazine |url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2456489,00.asp |access-date=September 17, 2017 |archive-date=September 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921034925/https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2456489,00.asp |url-status=live }}</ref> About 22% of Americans say they have used Twitter, according to a 2019 [[Pew Research Center]] survey.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Share of U.S. adults using social media, including Facebook, is mostly unchanged since 2018|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/04/10/share-of-u-s-adults-using-social-media-including-facebook-is-mostly-unchanged-since-2018/|access-date=July 11, 2020|website=Pew Research Center|date=April 10, 2019 |archive-date=March 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210331075112/https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/04/10/share-of-u-s-adults-using-social-media-including-facebook-is-mostly-unchanged-since-2018/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2009, [[Nielsen Online]] reported that Twitter had a user-retention rate of 40%. Many people stop using the service after a month; therefore the site may potentially reach only about 10% of all [[Global internet usage|Internet users]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Goldsmith |first=Belinda |date=April 29, 2009 |title=Many Twitters Are Quick Quitters: Study |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/deborahCohen/idUSTRE53S1A720090429 |access-date=February 22, 2011 |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308142741/https://www.reuters.com/article/deborahCohen/idUSTRE53S1A720090429 |url-status=live }}</ref> Noting how demographics of Twitter users differ from the average Americans, commentators have cautioned against media narratives that treat Twitter as representative of the population,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Madrigal|first=Alexis C.|date=April 24, 2019|title=Twitter Is Not America|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/04/twitter-is-not-america/587770/|access-date=July 11, 2020|website=The Atlantic|archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320005431/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/04/twitter-is-not-america/587770/|url-status=live}}</ref> adding that only 10% of users Tweet actively, and that 90% of Twitter users have Tweeted no more than twice. In 2016, shareholders sued Twitter, alleging it "artificially inflated its stock price by misleading them about user engagement". The company announced on September 20, 2021, that it would pay $809.5 million to settle this class-action lawsuit.<ref>{{cite web|title=Twitter seeks to settle 2016 class action lawsuit for $800 million|date=September 20, 2021 |url=https://denvergazette.com/news/twitter-seeks-to-settle-2016-class-action-lawsuit-for-800-million/article_1d801387-0c7b-5e43-9170-3b8820a322df.html |work=Denver Gazette|first1=Tom|last1=Hals|first2=Nivedita|last2=Balu|access-date=September 20, 2021|archive-date=September 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921032702/https://denvergazette.com/news/twitter-seeks-to-settle-2016-class-action-lawsuit-for-800-million/article_1d801387-0c7b-5e43-9170-3b8820a322df.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===User engagement ===
User engagement is usually measured by the number of likes, replies and reposts. A 2023 study showed that retweets are more likely to contain positive content and address larger audiences using the first-person [[pronoun]] "we". Replies, on the other hand, are more likely to contain negative content and address individuals using the second-person [[pronoun]] "you" and the third-person [[pronoun]]s "he" or "she". While influencers with many followers tend to post positive messages, often using the word "love" when addressing larger audiences, users with less followers tend to engage in [[Interpersonal relationship|interpersonal]] conversations to provoke user engagement.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Segev |first1=Elad |title=Sharing Feelings and User Engagement on Twitter: It's All About Me and You |journal=Social Media + Society |date=April 2023 |volume=9 |issue=2 |doi=10.1177/20563051231183430|s2cid=259304684 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

== Branding ==
Before its rebranding to X, Twitter was internationally identifiable by its signature bird logo, or the Twitter Bird. The original logo, which was simply the word ''Twitter'', was in use from its launch in March 2006. It was accompanied by an image of a bird which was later discovered to be a piece of [[clip art]] created by the British graphic designer [[Simon Oxley]].<ref name="nytimes logo">{{cite magazine|last=Rehak|first=Melanie|date=August 8, 2014|title=Who Made That Twitter Bird?|magazine=[[The New York Times Magazine]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/magazine/who-made-that-twitter-bird.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809034054/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/magazine/who-made-that-twitter-bird.html |archive-date=August 9, 2014 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=November 22, 2021}}</ref> A new logo had to be redesigned by founder Biz Stone with help from designer Philip Pascuzzo, which resulted in a more cartoon-like bird in 2009. This version had been named "Larry the Bird" after [[Larry Bird]] of the NBA's [[Boston Celtics]] fame.<ref name="nytimes logo" /><ref>{{cite news|last=Freeman|first=Eric|date=August 2011|title=Twitter's Logo Is Named After Larry Bird|publisher=[[Yahoo!Sports]]|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/twitter-logo-named-larry-bird-005145351.html|access-date=March 1, 2012|archive-date=October 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019085639/https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/twitter-logo-named-larry-bird-005145351.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Within a year, the Larry the Bird logo underwent a redesign by Stone and Pascuzzo to eliminate the cartoon features, leaving a solid silhouette of Larry the Bird that was used from 2010 through 2012.<ref name="nytimes logo" /> In 2012, Douglas Bowman created a further simplified version of Larry the Bird, keeping the solid silhouette but making it more similar to a [[mountain bluebird]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Halliday|first=Josh|date=June 7, 2012|title=No flipping the bird! Twitter unveils strict usage guidelines for new logo|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/pda/2012/jun/07/flipping-bird-twitter-new-logo|access-date=October 11, 2014|archive-date=April 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427150904/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/pda/2012/jun/07/flipping-bird-twitter-new-logo|url-status=live}}</ref> This logo was simply called the "Twitter Bird" and was used until July 2023.<ref name="nytimes logo" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Griggs |first=Brandon |date=June 7, 2012 |title=Twitter's bird logo gets a makeover |publisher=CNN |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/06/tech/social-media/twitter-bird-logo/ |access-date=June 7, 2012 |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427150803/https://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/06/tech/social-media/twitter-bird-logo/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="independent2">{{cite news |last=Cuthbertson |first=Anthony |date=July 24, 2023 |title=Twitter rebrands to X as part of Elon Musk's plan to create an 'everything app' |work=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/twitter-x-app-logo-elon-musk-b2380663.html |access-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724135543/https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/twitter-x-app-logo-elon-musk-b2380663.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:X profile.png|alt=The official X profile.|thumb|223x223px|The official X profile, on the site, as of August 2023]]
On July 22, 2023, Elon Musk announced that the service would be rebranded to "X",<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 24, 2023 |title=Twitter logo change: Five facts about the now-dead Twitter blue bird |url=https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/twitter-logo-change-five-facts-about-the-now-dead-twitter-blue-bird-10777.htm |access-date=July 24, 2023 |website=Storyboard18 |language=en |archive-date=July 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230723204022/https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/twitter-logo-change-five-facts-about-the-now-dead-twitter-blue-bird-10777.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> in his pursuit of creating an "[[Super-app|everything app]]".<ref name="independent2" /> Musk's Twitter profile picture, along with the platform's official accounts, and the icons when browsing/signing up for the platform, were updated to reflect the new logo.<ref>{{cite news |last=Savov |first=Vlad |date=July 24, 2023 |title=Musk Declares Fan-Submitted 'X' New Twitter Logo in Abrupt Shift |language=en |work=[[Bloomberg News]] |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-07-24/musk-declares-fan-submitted-x-new-twitter-logo-in-abrupt-shift |access-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724075425/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-07-24/musk-declares-fan-submitted-x-new-twitter-logo-in-abrupt-shift |url-status=live }}</ref> The logo ({{proper name|𝕏}}) is a Unicode [[Mathematical Alphanumeric Symbols|mathematical alphanumeric symbol]] for the letter "X" styled in [[Blackboard bold|double-strike bold]].

Mike Proulx of ''The New York Times'' was critical of this change, saying the brand value has been "wiped out". Mike Carr says the new logo gives a {{" '}}[[Big Brother (Nineteen Eighty-Four)|Big Brother]]' tech overlord vibe" in contrast to the "cuddly" nature of the previous bird logo.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Mac |first1=Ryan |last2=Hsu |first2=Tiffany |date=July 24, 2023 |title=From Twitter to X: Elon Musk Begins Erasing an Iconic Internet Brand |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/24/technology/twitter-x-elon-musk.html |access-date=August 1, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=July 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230731232510/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/24/technology/twitter-x-elon-musk.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Users [[review bomb]]ed the newly rebranded "X" app on the [[App Store (iOS/iPadOS)|iOS App Store]] on the day it was revealed, and ''Rolling Stone''<nowiki/>'s Miles Klee said that the rebrand "reeks of desperation".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Sarah |date=August 2, 2023 |title=App Store users are downrating Twitter's rebranding to X with 1-star reviews |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/08/02/app-store-users-are-downrating-twitters-rebranding-to-x-with-1-star-reviews/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US |archive-date=October 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003140925/https://techcrunch.com/2023/08/02/app-store-users-are-downrating-twitters-rebranding-to-x-with-1-star-reviews/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Klee |first=Miles |date=July 24, 2023 |title=Twitter's 'X' Rebrand Is Elon Musk's Most Desperate Gimmick Yet |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/elon-musk-twitter-rebrand-x-doomed-1234794193/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US |archive-date=October 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003092421/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/elon-musk-twitter-rebrand-x-doomed-1234794193/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Logo evolution==
<gallery>
Twitter logo.svg|2006–2010
Twitter 2010 logo - from Commons.svg|2010–2012
Logo of Twitter.svg|2012–2023
X logo 2023.svg|2023–present
</gallery>

==Finances ==
===Revenue sources===
On April 13, 2010, Twitter announced plans to offer paid advertising for companies that would be able to purchase "promoted tweets" to appear in selective search results on the Twitter website, similar to [[Adwords|Google Adwords']] advertising model.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/apr/13/twitter-advertising-google |work=[[The Guardian]] |title=Twitter Unveils 'Promoted Tweets' Ad Plan – Twitter To Let Advertisers Pay for Tweets To Appear in Search Results |first=Charles |last=Arthur |date=April 13, 2010 |access-date=February 23, 2011 |location=London |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427151121/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/apr/13/twitter-advertising-google |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Sara |last=Kimberley |url=http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/996226/Twitter-debuts-Promoted-Tweets-ad-platform/ |title=Twitter Debuts 'Promoted Tweets' Ad Platform |publisher=[[MediaWeek]] (U.K. edition) |date=April 13, 2010 |access-date=February 5, 2011 |archive-date=January 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120114952/http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/996226/Twitter-debuts-Promoted-Tweets-ad-platform/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Users' photos can generate royalty-free revenue for Twitter, and an agreement with [[World Entertainment News Network]] (WENN) was announced in May 2011.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/2070167/twitpic-signs-controversial-deal-celebrity-photo-agency#update |title=Photo agency's CEO addresses TwitPic controversy |work=[[British Journal of Photography]] |date=May 11, 2011 |access-date=August 17, 2011 |author=Laurent, Olivier |location=London |quote=The deal will give WENN exclusive rights to sell images posted on the TwitPic service. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110803071054/http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/2070167/twitpic-signs-controversial-deal-celebrity-photo-agency |archive-date=August 3, 2011}}</ref> Twitter generated an estimated US$139.5 million in advertising sales during 2011.<ref>{{cite web |title=Twitter Ad Revenues to Grow 210% to $139.5 Million in 2011 |url=https://www.emarketer.com/newsroom/index.php/twitter-ad-revenues-grow-210-1395-million-2011/ |access-date=May 9, 2022 |archive-date=May 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220509195041/https://www.emarketer.com/newsroom/index.php/twitter-ad-revenues-grow-210-1395-million-2011/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In June 2011, Twitter announced that it would offer small businesses a self-service advertising system.<ref>{{cite web |first=Todd |last=Wasserman |url=http://mashable.com/2011/06/09/twitter-ad-buying/ |title=Twitter Will Automate Ad-Buying by the End of the Year |publisher=Mashable.com |date=June 9, 2011 |access-date=November 14, 2011 |archive-date=May 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503051942/https://mashable.com/2011/06/09/twitter-ad-buying/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The self-service advertising platform was launched in March 2012 to [[American Express]] card members and merchants in the U.S. on an invite-only basis.<ref name="Zach">{{cite web|first1=Zach|last1=Miners|title=Twitter opens self-service ads to everyone|url=http://www.cmo.com.au/article/460553/twitter_opens_self-service_ads_everyone/|website=CMO|publisher=IDG Communications|access-date=August 18, 2014|date=April 30, 2013|archive-date=August 19, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819125821/http://www.cmo.com.au/article/460553/twitter_opens_self-service_ads_everyone/|url-status=live}}</ref> To continue their advertising campaign, Twitter announced on March 20, 2012, that promoted tweets would be introduced to mobile devices.<ref>[http://mashable.com/2012/03/20/twitter-promoted-tweets-mobile/ "Twitter Rolls Out Promoted Tweets for Mobile"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223231801/http://mashable.com/2012/03/20/twitter-promoted-tweets-mobile/ |date=December 23, 2017 }}; Wasserman, Todd. March 20, 2012. mashable.com.</ref> In April 2013, Twitter announced that its Twitter Ads self-service platform, consisting of promoted tweets and promoted accounts, was available to all U.S. users without an invite.<ref name="Zach" />

On August 3, 2016, Twitter launched Instant Unlock Card, a new feature that encourages people to tweet about a brand to earn rewards and use the social media network's conversational ads. The format itself consists of images or videos with call-to-action buttons and a customizable hashtag.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Twitter Is Helping Brands Drive Conversations With Instant Unlock Cards |url=http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/twitter-helping-brands-drive-conversations-instant-unlock-cards-172806 |first=Mary |last=Swant |magazine=Adweek |access-date=August 4, 2016 |archive-date=December 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161204185709/http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/twitter-helping-brands-drive-conversations-instant-unlock-cards-172806 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Advertising bans===
In October 2017, Twitter banned the Russian media outlets [[RT (TV network)|RT]] and [[Sputnik (news agency)|Sputnik]] from advertising on their website following the conclusions of the U.S. national intelligence report the previous January that both Sputnik and RT had been used as vehicles for [[Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections|Russia's interference in the 2016 US presidential election]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Dwoskin|first=Elizabeth|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/10/26/twitter-bans-russian-government-news-sites-rt-and-sputnik-from-buying-ads/|title=Twitter bans Russian government-owned news sites RT and Sputnik from buying ads|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=October 26, 2017|access-date=February 25, 2020|archive-date=October 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030205816/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/10/26/twitter-bans-russian-government-news-sites-rt-and-sputnik-from-buying-ads/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Maria Zakharova]] for the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia)|Russian foreign ministry]] said the ban was a "gross violation" by the US of free speech.<ref>{{cite news|title = Twitter Bans Ads From Russia Today and the Sputnik Network, Citing Election Meddling|url = https://www.time.com/4999788/twitter-bans-russia-today-sputnik-ads/|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171027043950/http://time.com/4999788/twitter-bans-russia-today-sputnik-ads/|url-status = dead|archive-date = October 27, 2017|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date = October 27, 2017|access-date = July 26, 2018}}</ref>

In October 2019, Twitter announced it would stop running political ads on its ad platform effective November 22. This resulted from several spurious claims made by political ads. Company CEO Dorsey clarified that internet advertising had great power and was extremely effective for commercial advertisers, the power brings significant risks to politics where crucial decisions impact millions of lives.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news18.com/news/tech/twitter-bans-political-ads-on-its-platform-pressure-up-on-defiant-facebook-2368007.html|title=Twitter Bans Political Ads on Its Platform, Pressure Up on Defiant Facebook|website=News18|date=October 31, 2019|access-date=October 31, 2019|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308170743/https://www.news18.com/news/tech/twitter-bans-political-ads-on-its-platform-pressure-up-on-defiant-facebook-2368007.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The company reversed the ban in August 2023,<ref>{{cite news | last=Paul | first=Kari | title=Twitter allows US political candidates and parties to advertise in policy switch | newspaper=The Guardian | date=August 30, 2023 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/aug/29/twitter-x-political-ads-us-policy-misinformation | access-date=November 17, 2023 | archive-date=November 17, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117195442/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/aug/29/twitter-x-political-ads-us-policy-misinformation | url-status=live }}</ref> publishing criteria governing political advertising which do not allow the promotion of false or misleading content, and requiring advertisers to comply with laws, with compliance being the sole responsibility of the advertiser.<ref>{{cite web | title=Political Content | publisher=X for Business | url=https://business.twitter.com/en/help/ads-policies/ads-content-policies/political-content.html | access-date=November 17, 2023 | archive-date=November 17, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117120133/https://business.twitter.com/en/help/ads-policies/ads-content-policies/political-content.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

In April 2022, Twitter announced a ban on "misleading" advertisements that go against "the scientific consensus on climate change". While the company did not give full guidelines, it stated that the decisions would be made with the help of "authoritative sources", including the [[United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change|Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/22/23037677/twitter-bans-climate-change-misinformation-ads|title=Twitter bans 'misleading' ads about climate change|last=Calma|first=Justine|website=The Verge|date=April 22, 2022|access-date=April 23, 2022|archive-date=April 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220425150959/https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/22/23037677/twitter-bans-climate-change-misinformation-ads|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Fines ===

Twitter had been fined several times for non-compliance with laws and regulations. On May 25, 2022, Twitter was fined $150 million by the [[Federal Trade Commission]] and the United States Department of Justice for collecting users' contact details and using them for targeted advertising.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Milmo |first=Dan |date=May 26, 2022 |title=Twitter fined $150m for handing users' contact details to advertisers |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/may/25/twitter-user-data-advertising-settlement |access-date=May 27, 2022 |archive-date=July 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220711235648/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/may/25/twitter-user-data-advertising-settlement |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last=Zakrzewski | first=Cat | title=Twitter to pay $150 million fine over deceptively collected data | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=May 25, 2022 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/05/25/twitter-fine-ftc/ | access-date=November 17, 2023 | archive-date=November 21, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231121041256/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/05/25/twitter-fine-ftc/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

==Technology==
===Implementation===
Twitter relies on [[open-source software]].<ref name="zdnet vaughannichols 2012">{{cite news|last=Vaughan-Nichols|first=Steven|title=How Twitter tweets your tweets with open source|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-twitter-tweets-your-tweets-with-open-source/|access-date=September 10, 2012|publisher=[[ZDNet]]|date=August 30, 2012|archive-date=October 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141005025148/http://www.zdnet.com/how-twitter-tweets-your-tweets-with-open-source-7000003526/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Twitter Web interface uses the [[Ruby on Rails]] framework,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0622/software-internet-innovation-digital-tools.html |title=The Pied Piper of Pay |work=[[Forbes]] |first=Lee |last=Gomes |date=June 22, 2009 |access-date=June 16, 2009 |archive-date=March 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311130349/https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0622/software-internet-innovation-digital-tools.html |url-status=live }}</ref> deployed on a performance enhanced [[Ruby Enterprise Edition]] implementation of [[Ruby (programming language)|Ruby]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Ryan |last=King |date=September 25, 2009 |title=Twitter on Ruby |url=http://blog.evanweaver.com/articles/2009/09/24/ree/ |quote=We recently migrated Twitter from a custom Ruby 1.8.6 build to a Ruby Enterprise Edition release candidate, courtesy of Phusion. Our primary motivation was the integration of Brent's MBARI patches, which increase memory stability. |access-date=October 31, 2009 |archive-date=September 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090927063142/http://blog.evanweaver.com/articles/2009/09/24/ree/ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Update inline|date=October 2022}}

In the early days of Twitter, tweets were stored in [[MySQL]] databases that were temporally [[Shard (database architecture)|sharded]] (large databases were split based on time of posting). After the huge volume of tweets coming in caused problems reading from and writing to these databases, the company decided that the system needed re-engineering.<ref name="Krikorian-2013">{{cite web|url=https://blog.twitter.com/engineering/en_us/a/2013/new-tweets-per-second-record-and-how|title=New Tweets per second record, and how!|first=Raffi|last=Krikorian|date=August 16, 2013|access-date=November 22, 2021|work=Twitter Blogs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130822102815/https://blog.twitter.com/2013/new-tweets-per-second-record-and-how|archive-date=August 22, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

From Spring 2007 to 2008, the messages were handled by a Ruby [[persistent data structure|persistent]] queue server called Starling.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=January 11, 2009 |url=http://dev.twitter.com/2008/01/announcing-starling.html |title=Announcing Starling |via=Twitter |date=January 16, 2008 |last=Payne |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080120141113/http://dev.twitter.com/2008/01/announcing-starling.html|archive-date=January 20, 2008}}</ref> Since 2009, implementation has been gradually replaced with software written in [[Scala (programming language)|Scala]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.artima.com/scalazine/articles/twitter_on_scala.html |title=Twitter on Scala |date=April 3, 2009 |first=Bill |last=Venners |publisher=Artima Developer |access-date=June 17, 2009 |archive-date=June 19, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090619164149/http://www.artima.com/scalazine/articles/twitter_on_scala.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The switch from Ruby to Scala and the [[Java Virtual Machine|JVM]] has given Twitter a performance boost from 200 to 300 requests per second per host to around 10,000–20,000 requests per second per host. This boost was greater than the 10x improvement that Twitter's engineers envisioned when starting the switch. The continued development of Twitter has also involved a switch from monolithic development of a single app to an architecture where different services are built independently and joined through [[remote procedure call]]s.<ref name="Krikorian-2013" />

As of April 6, 2011, Twitter engineers confirmed that they had switched away from their Ruby on Rails search stack to a [[Java (programming language)|Java]] server they call Blender.<ref name="Twitter coding">{{cite news|url=https://blog.twitter.com/2011/twitter-search-is-now-3x-faster|title=Twitter Search Is Now 3x Faster|date=April 6, 2011|access-date=January 4, 2016|archive-date=February 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206120556/https://blog.twitter.com/2011/twitter-search-is-now-3x-faster|url-status=live}}</ref>

Individual tweets are registered under unique IDs called [[Snowflake ID|snowflakes]], and geolocation data is added using 'Rockdove'. The URL shortener ''[[t.co]]'' then checks for a [[Messaging spam|spam]] link and shortens the URL. Next, the tweets are stored in a MySQL database using [[Gizzard (Scala framework)|Gizzard]], and the user receives an acknowledgement that the tweets were sent. Tweets are then sent to search engines via the Firehose API. The process is managed by [[FlockDB]] and takes an average of {{nowrap|350 ms}}.<ref name="zdnet vaughannichols 2012" />

On August 16, 2013, [[Raffi Krikorian]], Twitter's vice president of platform engineering, shared in a blog post that the company's infrastructure handled almost 143,000 tweets per second during that week, setting a new record. Krikorian explained that Twitter achieved this record by blending its homegrown and open source technologies.<ref name="Krikorian-2013" /><ref>{{cite web |title=How Twitter scaled its infrastructure to handle record tweet-per-second days |url=https://om.co/gigaom/how-twitter-scaled-it-infrastructure-to-handle-record-tweet-per-second-days/ |first=Om |last=Malik | authorlink=Om Malik | date=August 17, 2013}}</ref>

=== API and developer platform ===
Twitter was recognized for having one of the most open and powerful developer [[API]]s of any major technology company.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 11, 2012 |title=Top 10 Web APIs – Bridging Today's Technology |newspaper=WebDAM |url=https://webdam.com/blog/top-10-web-apis_bridging-todays-technology/ |access-date=December 18, 2016 |archive-date=April 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210401013958/https://www.bynder.com/en/blog/8-apis-bridging-todays-technology/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The service's API allows other [[web service]]s and applications to integrate with Twitter.<ref>{{cite web |title=Twitter API Wiki / FrontPage |url=http://apiwiki.twitter.com/ |access-date=September 18, 2010 |via=Twitter |archive-date=November 3, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101103035338/http://apiwiki.twitter.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Developer interest in Twitter began immediately following its launch, prompting the company to release the first version of its public API in September 2006.<ref>{{cite web |title=Introducing the Twitter API {{!}} Twitter Blogs |url=https://blog.twitter.com/2006/introducing-the-twitter-api |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223145220/https://blog.twitter.com/2006/introducing-the-twitter-api |archive-date=December 23, 2016 |access-date=December 18, 2016 |via=Twitter}}</ref> The API quickly became iconic as a reference implementation for public [[REST API]]s and is widely cited in programming tutorials.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ruby on Rails Tutorial (Rails 5) |url=https://www.railstutorial.org/book/beginning |access-date=December 18, 2016 |website=Softcover.io |archive-date=December 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211225054926/https://www.railstutorial.org/book/beginning |url-status=live }}</ref>

From 2006 until 2010, Twitter's developer platform experienced strong growth and a highly favorable reputation. Developers built upon the public API to create the first Twitter mobile phone clients as well as the first URL shortener. Between 2010 and 2012, however, Twitter made a number of decisions that were received unfavorably by the developer community.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 23, 2016 |title=Twitter's 10 Year Struggle with Developer Relations {{!}} Nordic APIs {{!}} |newspaper=Nordic APIs |url=http://nordicapis.com/twitter-10-year-struggle-with-developer-relations/ |access-date=December 18, 2016 |archive-date=December 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220202018/http://nordicapis.com/twitter-10-year-struggle-with-developer-relations/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2010, Twitter mandated that all developers adopt [[OAuth]] authentication with just 9 weeks of notice.<ref>{{cite web |last=Parr |first=Ben |date=April 25, 2010 |title=Twitter Launches Countdown to OAuthcalypse |url=http://mashable.com/2010/04/24/twitter-oauthcalypse/ |access-date=December 18, 2016 |website=Mashable |archive-date=August 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816194237/https://mashable.com/2010/04/24/twitter-oauthcalypse/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Later that year, Twitter launched its own URL shortener, in direct competition with some of its most well-known third-party developers.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Twitter to launch URL shortener and may block TinyURL and bit.ly |newspaper=Computer Weekly |url=http://www.computerweekly.com/news/1280092587/Twitter-to-launch-URL-shortener-and-may-block-TinyURL-and-bitly |access-date=December 18, 2016 |archive-date=February 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225200317/https://www.computerweekly.com/news/1280092587/Twitter-to-launch-URL-shortener-and-may-block-TinyURL-and-bitly |url-status=live }}</ref> And in 2012, Twitter introduced stricter usage limits for its API, "completely crippling" some developers.<ref>{{cite web |last=Streams |first=Kimber |date=November 11, 2012 |title=Tweetro says it's 'completely crippled' by Twitter's strict 100,000 user token limit |url=https://www.theverge.com/2012/11/11/3631108/tweetro-user-token-limit-api |access-date=December 18, 2016 |website=The Verge |archive-date=February 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202230543/https://www.theverge.com/2012/11/11/3631108/tweetro-user-token-limit-api |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Wauters |first=Robin |date=August 17, 2012 |title=Twitter API Changes Set Maximum User Cap for 3rd Parties |url=https://thenextweb.com/twitter/2012/08/17/twitter-4 |access-date=May 9, 2013 |publisher=Thenextweb.com |archive-date=May 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502211545/https://thenextweb.com/twitter/2012/08/17/twitter-4/ |url-status=live }}</ref> While these moves successfully increased the stability and security of the service, they were broadly perceived as hostile to developers, causing them to lose trust in the platform.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ha |first=Anthony |title=Twitter Handcuffs Client Apps With New API Changes |url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/08/16/twitter-api-client-apps/ |access-date=December 18, 2016 |website=TechCrunch |date=August 16, 2012 |archive-date=February 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224204805/https://techcrunch.com/2012/08/16/twitter-api-client-apps/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In July 2020, Twitter released version 2.0 of the public API<ref>{{cite web |date=July 16, 2020 |title=Twitter introduces a new, fully rebuilt developer API, launching next week |url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/16/twitter-introduces-a-new-fully-rebuilt-developer-api-launching-next-week/ |access-date=April 28, 2022 |website=TechCrunch |archive-date=April 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220427161406/https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/16/twitter-introduces-a-new-fully-rebuilt-developer-api-launching-next-week/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and began showcasing Twitter apps made by third-party developers on its Twitter Toolbox section in April 2022.<ref>{{cite web |date=April 21, 2022 |title=Twitter wants to win back developer trus |url=https://techcrunch.com/2022/04/21/twitter-to-promote-developers-apps-directly-on-its-platform/ |access-date=April 28, 2022 |website=TechCrunch |archive-date=April 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220427160252/https://techcrunch.com/2022/04/21/twitter-to-promote-developers-apps-directly-on-its-platform/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In January 2023, Twitter ended third-party access to its APIs, forcing all third-party Twitter clients to shut down.<ref>{{cite web |title=RIP Third-Party Twitter Clients |url=https://www.pcmag.com/opinions/rip-third-party-twitter-clients |website=PC Magazine |access-date=April 5, 2023}}</ref> This was controversial among the developer community, as many third-party apps predated the company's official apps, and the change was not announced beforehand. Twitterrific's Sean Heber confirmed in a blog post that the 16-year-old app has been discontinued. "We are sorry to say that the app's sudden and undignified demise is due to an unannounced and undocumented policy change by an increasingly capricious Twitter – a Twitter that we no longer recognize as trustworthy nor want to work with any longer."<ref>{{cite web |title=Twitterrific: End of an Era |url=https://blog.iconfactory.com/2023/01/twitterrific-end-of-an-era/ |website=Iconfactory: The Breakroom |access-date=April 5, 2023}}</ref>

In February of 2023, Twitter announced it would be ending free access to Twitter API, and began offering paid tier plans with a more limited access.<ref>{{cite web |title=Twitter is shutting down its free API, here's what's going to break |url=https://www.engadget.com/twitter-shutting-off-free-api-prepare-174340770.html |website=Engadget |date=February 8, 2023 |access-date=April 5, 2023}}</ref>

===Innovator's patent agreement===
On April 17, 2012, Twitter announced it would implement an "Innovators Patent Agreement" which would obligate Twitter to only use its patents {{clarify span|for defensive purposes.|date=July 2020}}<ref>{{cite web |last=O'Brien |first=Terrence |date=April 17, 2012 |title=Twitter introduces Innovators Patent Agreement, vows not to abuse patent system |url=https://www.engadget.com/2012/04/17/twitter-introduces-innovators-patent-agreement/ |access-date=August 11, 2012 |work=[[Engadget]] |publisher=[[AOL]]}}</ref>

===Open source===
Twitter has a history of both using and releasing [[open-source software]] while overcoming technical challenges of their service.<ref>{{cite web |title=Twitter / OpenSource |url=https://dev.twitter.com/opensource |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130415194622/https://dev.twitter.com/opensource |archive-date=April 15, 2013 |access-date=April 18, 2013 |via=Twitter}}</ref> A page in their developer documentation thanks dozens of open-source projects which they have used, from [[revision control]] software like [[Git (software)|Git]] to programming languages such as Ruby and Scala.<ref>{{cite web |title=Open Source Thanks |url=https://dev.twitter.com/opensource/thanks |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130415200840/https://dev.twitter.com/opensource/thanks |archive-date=April 15, 2013 |access-date=April 18, 2013 |via=Twitter}}</ref> Software released as open source by the company includes the [[Gizzard (Scala framework)|Gizzard Scala framework]] for creating distributed datastores, the distributed graph database [[FlockDB]], the Finagle library for building asynchronous [[remote procedure call|RPC]] servers and clients, the TwUI [[user interface]] framework for [[iOS]], and the Bower client-side package manager.<ref>{{cite web |title=Open Source |url=https://twitter.github.io/ |access-date=January 4, 2017 |via=Twitter}}</ref> The popular [[Bootstrap (front-end framework)|Bootstrap frontend framework]] was also started at Twitter and is 10th most popular repository on [[GitHub]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Search: Stars>1 |url=https://github.com/search?q=stars%3A%3E1&s=stars&type=Repositories |access-date=February 27, 2020 |publisher=GitHub}}</ref>
 
On March 31, 2023, Twitter released the [[source code]] for Twitter's recommendation [[algorithm]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://github.com/twitter/the-algorithm |title= Source code for Twitter's Recommendation Algorithm |date= March 31, 2023 |website=GitHub |access-date= April 1, 2023}}</ref> which determines what tweets show up on the user's personal timeline, to [[GitHub]]. According to Twitter's blog post: "We believe that we have a responsibility, as the town square of the internet, to make our platform transparent. So today we are taking the first step in a new era of transparency and opening much of our source code to the global community."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/company/2023/a-new-era-of-transparency-for-twitter|title=A new era of transparency for Twitter|website= Twitter blog|date= March 31, 2023 |access-date= April 1, 2023}}</ref> [[Elon Musk]], the CEO at the time, had been promising the move for a while – on March 24, 2022, before he owned the site, he polled his followers about whether Twitter's algorithm should be open source, and around 83% of the responses said "yes". In February, he promised it would happen within a week before pushing back the deadline to March 31 earlier this month.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/31/23664849/twitter-releases-algorithm-musk-open-source |title=Twitter takes its algorithm 'open-source,' as Elon Musk promised |last=Castro |first=Alex |date=March 31, 2023 |website=The Verge |access-date=April 1, 2023}}</ref>

Also in March 2023, Twitter suffered a security attack which resulted in proprietary code being released. Twitter then had the source code removed.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/03/27/tech/twitter-source-code-leaked/index.html | title=Twitter says portions of source code leaked online &#124; CNN Business | date=March 27, 2023 }}</ref>

===Interface===
Twitter introduced the first major redesign of its user interface in September 2010, adopting a dual-pane layout with a navigation bar along the top of the screen, and an increased focus on the inline embedding of multimedia content. Critics considered the redesign an attempt to emulate features and experiences found in mobile apps and third-party Twitter clients.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.adweek.com/digital/history-of-twitter-redesigns/|title=A Brief History Of Twitter's Many Redesigns|website=Adweek|date=April 26, 2014 |access-date=July 17, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/2010/09/take-a-tour-of-the-new-twitter/|title=Take a Tour of the New Twitter|last=Calore|first=Michael|date=September 16, 2010|magazine=Wired|access-date=July 17, 2019|issn=1059-1028}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mashable.com/2010/09/14/new-twitter-web-interface/|title=Here Comes the New Twitter.com|last=Ostrow|first=Adam|website=Mashable|access-date=July 17, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mashable.com/2010/09/14/new-twitter-app/|title=The New Twitter Is an Attack on All Desktop Apps|last=Grove|first=Jennifer Van|website=Mashable|date=September 15, 2010|access-date=July 17, 2019}}</ref>

The new layout was revised in 2011 with a focus on continuity with the web and mobile versions, introducing "Connect" (interactions with other users such as replies) and "Discover" (further information regarding trending topics and news headlines) tabs, an updated profile design, and moving all content to the right pane (leaving the left pane dedicated to functions and the trending topics list).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2011/12/8/2621244/twitter-redesign-pictures-video|title=Twitter app and website redesign: hands-on pictures and video|last=Houston|first=Thomas|date=December 8, 2011|website=The Verge|access-date=July 17, 2019}}</ref> In March 2012, Twitter became available in Arabic, [[Persian language|Farsi]], [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] and [[Urdu]], the first right-to-left language versions of the site.<ref>{{cite news |title=Twitter Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew and Urdu version launch| date=March 7, 2012|access-date=March 7, 2012 |work=BBC News | url =https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17286684}}</ref> In 2023 the Twitter Web site listed 34 languages supported by Twitter.com.<ref>{{cite web | title=Supported languages and browsers | website=Twitter Developer Platform | url=https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs/twitter-for-websites/supported-languages|date=June 30, 2020| access-date=November 17, 2023}}</ref>

In September 2012, a new layout for profiles was introduced, with larger "covers" that could be customized with a custom header image, and a display of the user's recent photos posted.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/sep/18/twitter-redesign-photos|title=Twitter redesign makes more of photos|last=O'Carroll|first=Lisa|date=September 18, 2012|work=The Guardian|access-date=July 17, 2019|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The "Discover" tab was discontinued in April 2015,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/4/8/8371319/twitter-is-killing-off-its-discover-tab|title=Twitter is killing off its Discover tab|last=Popper|first=Ben|date=April 8, 2015|website=The Verge|access-date=July 17, 2019}}</ref> and was succeeded on the mobile app by an "Explore" tab—which features trending topics and moments.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/1/26/14391240/twitter-explore-tab-moments-redesign|title=Twitter replaces the Moments tab with Explore|last=Newton|first=Casey|date=January 26, 2017|website=The Verge|access-date=July 17, 2019}}</ref>

In September 2018, Twitter began to migrate selected web users to its [[Progressive web applications|progressive web app]] (based on its Twitter Lite experience for mobile web), reducing the interface to two columns. Migrations to this iteration of Twitter increased in April 2019, with some users receiving it with a modified layout.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/twitter-launches-redesigned-desktop-layout/|title=Twitter tests new desktop layouts|last=Musil|first=Steven|publisher=CNET|access-date=July 17, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/09/progressive-web-apps-moving-mainstream-as-twitter-makes-its-mobile-site-the-main-one/|title=Progressive Web Apps moving mainstream as Twitter makes its mobile site the main one|last=Bright|first=Peter|date=September 6, 2018|website=Ars Technica|access-date=July 17, 2019}}</ref>

In July 2019, Twitter officially released this redesign, with no further option to opt-out while logged in. It is designed to further-unify Twitter's user experience between the web and [[mobile application]] versions, adopting a three-column layout with a sidebar containing links to common areas (including "Explore" that has been merged with the search page) which previously appeared in a horizontal top bar, profile elements such as picture and header images and biography texts merged into the same column as the timeline, and features from the mobile version (such as multi-account support, and an opt-out for the "top tweets" mode on the timeline).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/07/twitter-is-changing-twitter-com-to-be-more-like-mobile-app/|title=Twitter is changing Twitter.com to be more like mobile app|last=Gallagher|first=Sean|date=July 15, 2019|website=Ars Technica|access-date=July 17, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/15/20695120/twitter-desktop-redesign-dark-mode-mobile-features|title=Twitter desktop redesign adopts some of its mobile app's best features|last=Lee|first=Dami|date=July 15, 2019|website=The Verge|access-date=July 17, 2019}}</ref>

=== Security ===
In response to early Twitter security breaches, the United States [[Federal Trade Commission]] (FTC) brought charges against the service; the charges were settled on June 24, 2010. This was the first time the FTC had taken action against a social network for security lapses. The settlement requires Twitter to take a number of steps to secure users' private information, including maintenance of a "comprehensive information security program" to be independently audited biannually.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gonsalves |first=Antone |date=June 25, 2010 |title=Twitter, Feds Settle Security Charges – Twitter Must Establish and Maintain a 'Comprehensive Information Security Program' and Allow Third-Party Review of the Program Biannually for the 10 Years |url=http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/privacy/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=225701450&subSection=Privacy |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101023083911/http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/privacy/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=225701450&subSection=Privacy |archive-date=October 23, 2010 |access-date=February 23, 2011 |work=[[InformationWeek]]}}</ref>

After a number of high-profile hacks of official accounts, including those of the Associated Press and ''[[The Guardian]]'',<ref>{{cite web |date=April 30, 2013 |title=Twitter Warns news Organisations Amid Syrian Hacking Attacks |url=http://descrier.co.uk/technology/2013/04/twitter-warns-news-organisations-amid-syrian-hacking-attacks/ |access-date=April 30, 2013 |publisher=Descrier}}</ref> in April 2013, Twitter announced a two-factor login verification as an added measure against hacking.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rodriguez |first=Salvador |date=May 23, 2013 |title=Twitter adds two-step verification option to help fend off hackers |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-twitter-two-step-verification-hackers-20130523,0,5416038.story |access-date=June 10, 2013}}</ref>

On July 15, 2020, a [[2020 Twitter bitcoin scam|major hack of Twitter]] affected 130 high-profile accounts, both verified and unverified ones such as [[Barack Obama]], [[Bill Gates]], and [[Elon Musk]]; the hack allowed [[bitcoin]] scammers to send tweets via the compromised accounts that asked the followers to send bitcoin to a given public address, with the promise to double their money.<ref name="Statt">{{Cite web |last=Statt |first=Nick |date=July 15, 2020 |title=Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Elon Musk, Apple, and others hacked in unprecedented Twitter attack |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/15/21326200/elon-musk-bill-gates-twitter-hack-bitcoin-scam-compromised |access-date=July 15, 2020 |website=The Verge}}</ref> Within a few hours, Twitter disabled tweeting and reset passwords from all verified accounts.<ref name="Statt" /> Analysis of the event revealed that the scammers had used [[social engineering (security)|social engineering]] to obtain credentials from Twitter employees to access an administration tool used by Twitter to view and change these accounts' personal details as to gain access as part of a "[[smash and grab]]" attempt to make money quickly, with an estimated {{USD|120,000}} in bitcoin deposited in various accounts before Twitter intervened.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Conger |first1=Kate |last2=Popper |first2=Nathaniel |date=July 17, 2020 |title=Hackers Tell the Story of the Twitter Attack From the Inside |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/technology/twitter-hackers-interview.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717210005/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/technology/twitter-hackers-interview.html |archive-date=July 17, 2020 |access-date=July 17, 2020 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> Several law enforcement entities including the FBI launched investigations into the attack.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=McMillan |first1=Robert |last2=Volz |first2=Dustin |date=July 19, 2020 |title=FBI Investigates Twitter Hack Amid Broader Concerns About Platform's Security |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/fbi-investigates-twitter-hack-amid-broader-concerns-about-platforms-security-11594922537 |access-date=July 7, 2020 |work=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref>

On August 5, 2022, Twitter disclosed that a bug introduced in a June 2021 update to the service allowed threat actors to link email addresses and phone numbers to twitter user's accounts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Twitter confirms zero-day used to expose data of 5.4 million accounts |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/twitter-confirms-zero-day-used-to-expose-data-of-54-million-accounts/ |access-date=August 11, 2022 |website=BleepingComputer}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=August 8, 2022 |title=Twitter Confirms Data Breach That Exposed Data Of 5.4 Million Users; Attackers May Still Have Data |url=https://www.news18.com/news/tech/twitter-confirms-data-breach-that-exposed-data-of-5-4-million-users-attackers-may-still-have-data-5709259.html |access-date=August 11, 2022 |website=News18}}</ref> The bug was reported through Twitter's [[bug bounty program]] in January 2022 and subsequently fixed. While Twitter originally believed no one had taken advantage of the vulnerability, it was later revealed that a user on the online hacking forum [[BreachForums|Breach Forums]] had used the vulnerability to compile a list of over 5.4 million user profiles, which they offered to sell for $30,000.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Paganini |first=Pierluigi |date=August 5, 2022 |title=Twitter confirms zero-day used to access data of 5.4 million accounts |url=https://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/134087/data-breach/twitter-zero-day-data-leak.html |access-date=August 11, 2022 |website=Security Affairs}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Dylan |work=[[The Brussels Times]]|title=Twitter admits to data breach exposing contact info for 5.4 million accounts |url=https://www.brusselstimes.com/business/269326/twitter-admits-to-data-breach-exposing-contact-info-for-5-4-million-accounts |access-date=August 11, 2022 }}</ref> The information compiled by the hacker includes user's screen names, location and email addresses which could be used in [[phishing]] attacks or used to deanonymize accounts running under pseudonyms.

===Outages===
During an outage, Twitter users were at one time shown the "fail whale" [[error message]] image created by [[Yiying Lu]],<ref>{{Cite news |author=Walker, Rob |author-link=Rob Walker (journalist) |date=February 15, 2009 |title=Fail Whale |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/magazine/15wwln_consumed-t.html |url-access=registration |department=Consumed |work=[[The New York Times Magazine]] |page=17 |access-date=February 15, 2009}}</ref> illustrating eight orange birds using a net to hoist a whale from the ocean captioned "Too many tweets! Please wait a moment and try again."<ref>{{Cite news|last=Whyte|first=Murray|access-date=February 23, 2011|url=https://www.thestar.com/News/Ideas/article/434826|title=Tweet, Tweet – There's Been an Earthquake |work=[[Toronto Star]]| date=June 1, 2008}}</ref> Web designer and Twitter user [[Jen Simmons]] was the first to coin the term "fail whale" in a September 2007 tweet.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=August 30, 2019|title=La vera storia della balena di Twitter|trans-title=The Real Story of the Twitter Whale |url=https://www.lastampa.it/tecnologia/2015/01/24/news/la-vera-storia-della-balena-di-twitter-1.35307426|date=January 24, 2015|website=[[La Stampa]]|language=it|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308154549/https://www.lastampa.it/tecnologia/2015/01/24/news/la-vera-storia-della-balena-di-twitter-1.35307426|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite tweet |number=845050439 |user=jensimmons |title=Oh, fail whale, you are making my website fail. No more wordpress-twitter-crossposting. |author=Simmons, Jen |date=September 2, 2007}}</ref> In a November 2013 ''Wired'' interview Chris Fry, VP of Engineering at that time, noted that the company had taken the "fail whale" out of use as the platform was now more stable.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Honan |first=Mat |date=November 25, 2013 |title=Killing the Fail Whale with Twitter's Christopher Fry |url=https://www.wired.com/2013/11/qa-with-chris-fry/ |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |access-date=May 4, 2018}}</ref> Twitter had approximately 98% [[uptime]] in 2007 (or about six full days of downtime).<ref>{{cite web|access-date=February 23, 2011|url=http://royal.pingdom.com/2007/12/19/twitter-growing-pains-cause-lots-of-downtime-in-2007/|title=Twitter Growing Pains Cause Lots of Downtime in 2007|publisher=Royal Pingdom (blog of [[Pingdom]])|date=December 19, 2007|archive-date=December 29, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101229114042/http://royal.pingdom.com/2007/12/19/twitter-growing-pains-cause-lots-of-downtime-in-2007/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The downtime was particularly noticeable during events popular with the technology industry such as the 2008 [[Macworld Conference & Expo]] keynote address.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=February 23, 2011|url=http://blog.twitter.com/2008/01/macworld.html|title=MacWorld |website=Twitter Blog |date=January 15, 2008|author=Dorsey, Jack|author-link=Jack Dorsey}}</ref><ref name="downtime4">{{cite web|access-date=May 7, 2008|url=http://theappslab.com/2008/01/15/macworld-brings-twitter-to-its-knees/|title=MacWorld Brings Twitter to its Knees|publisher=Oracle AppsLab|date=January 15, 2008|author=Kuramoto, Jake|archive-date=July 16, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716221537/http://theappslab.com/2008/01/15/macworld-brings-twitter-to-its-knees/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==User accounts==
===Verified accounts===
{{main|Twitter verification}}
In June 2009, after being criticized by [[Kanye West]] and sued by [[Tony La Russa]] over unauthorized accounts run by [[impersonator]]s, the company launched their "Verified Accounts" program.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blog.twitter.com/official/en_us/a/2009/not-playing-ball.html |title=Not Playing Ball |first=Biz|last=Stone|date=June 6, 2009 |via=Twitter}}</ref><ref name="verifiedhistory">{{cite news|last=Kanalley|first=Craig|title=Why Twitter Verifies Users: The History Behind the Blue Checkmark|url=https://huffingtonpost.com/craig-kanalley/twitter-verified-accounts_b_2863282.html|access-date=June 9, 2014|work=HuffPost|date=March 12, 2013}}</ref> Twitter stated that an account with a "blue tick" verification badge indicates "we've been in contact with the person or entity the account is representing and verified that it is approved".<ref name="verifiedlaunch">{{cite web|last=Cashmore|first=Pete|title=Twitter Launches Verified Accounts|website=[[Mashable]]|url=http://mashable.com/2009/06/11/twitter-verified-accounts-2/|date=June 11, 2009|access-date=June 9, 2014}}</ref> In July 2016, Twitter announced a public application process to grant verified status to an account "if it is determined to be of public interest" and that verification "does not imply an endorsement".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://support.twitter.com/groups/31-twitter-basics/topics/111-features/articles/119135-about-verified-accounts |title=About verified accounts |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160720094013/https://support.twitter.com/groups/31-twitter-basics/topics/111-features/articles/119135-about-verified-accounts |archive-date=July 20, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://blog.twitter.com/official/en_us/a/2016/announcing-an-application-process-for-verified-accounts-0.html |title=Announcing an Application Process for Verified Accounts|date=July 19, 2016 |via=Twitter}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/how-to-get-verified-twitter-uk-account-blue-tick|title=Twitter opens verification to all|first=Matt|last=Burgess|magazine=Wired|date=July 20, 2016|access-date=September 16, 2016}}</ref> Verified status allows access to some features unavailable to other users, such as only seeing mentions from other verified accounts.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wagner|first=Kurt|title=Twitter Unveils Exclusive Feature For Verified Users|website=[[Mashable]]|url=http://mashable.com/2013/09/12/twitter-exclusive-feature//|date=September 12, 2013|access-date=June 9, 2014}}</ref>

In November 2020, Twitter announced a relaunch of its verification system in 2021. According to the new policy, Twitter verifies six different types of accounts; for three of them (companies, brands, and influential individuals like activists), the existence of a Wikipedia page will be one criterion for showing that the account has "Off Twitter Notability".<ref>{{cite web|last=Harrison|first=Stephen|date=December 4, 2020|title=Twitter Wants to Use Wikipedia to Help Determine Who Gets a Blue Checkmark|url=https://slate.com/technology/2020/12/twitter-checkmark-verification-wikipedia-notability.html|access-date=December 4, 2020|website=Slate}}</ref> Twitter states that it will re-open public verification applications at some point in "early 2021".<ref>{{cite news|last=Statt|first=Nick|website=The Verge|url= https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/17/22187477/twitter-verification-badge-blue-checkmark-relaunch-process-new-rules|title=Twitter is launching its new verification policy on January 20th|date=December 17, 2020|access-date=February 19, 2021}}</ref>

In October 2022, after the takeover of Twitter by Elon Musk, it was reported that verification would instead be included in the paid Twitter Blue service, and that existing verified accounts would lose their status if they do not subscribe.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heath |first=Alex |date=October 31, 2022 |title=Twitter is planning to start charging $20 per month for verification |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/30/23431931/twitter-paid-verification-elon-musk-blue-monthly-subscription |access-date=November 6, 2022 |website=The Verge}}</ref> On November 1, Musk confirmed that verification would be included in Blue in the future, dismissing the existing verification system as a "lords & peasants system".<ref name="Roth-2022" /><ref name="Peters-2022" /><ref name="Roth-2022a" /> Following concerns over the possibility of impersonation, Twitter subsequently reimplemented a second "Official" marker, consisting of a grey tick and "Official" text displayed under the username, for high-profile accounts of "government and commercial entities".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sato |first=Mia |date=November 9, 2022 |title=Twitter's new gray "official" checks are rolling out to some high-profile accounts |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/9/23449122/twitter-official-verified-gray-checkmark-verification |access-date=November 9, 2022 |website=The Verge}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lopatto |first=Elizabeth |date=November 11, 2022 |title=Twitter 'Official' gray check mark returns, now that 'Verified' is meaningless |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/10/23452625/twitter-verified-official-blue-gray-check |access-date=November 18, 2022 |website=The Verge}}</ref>

In December 2022, the "Official" text was replaced by a gold checkmark for organizations, as well as a grey check mark for government and multilateral accounts.<ref name="Schroeder-2023">{{Cite web |date=March 31, 2023 |title=Twitter now lets businesses handle their employees' blue ticks, for a hefty price |url=https://mashable.com/article/twitter-verified-organizations |access-date=July 24, 2023 |website=Mashable |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Wiggers-2022">{{Cite web |last=Wiggers |first=Kyle |date=December 12, 2022 |title=Twitter launches Blue for Business, grants gold checkmarks to 'corporate entities' |url=https://techcrunch.com/2022/12/12/twitter-launches-blue-for-business-grants-gold-checkmarks-to-corporate-entities/ |access-date=July 24, 2023 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref>

In March 2023, the gold check mark was made available for organizations to purchase through the Verified Organizations program (formerly called Twitter Blue for Business).<ref name="Schroeder-2023" /><ref name="Wiggers-2022" />

===Privacy===
Tweets are public, but users can also send private "direct messages".<ref name=Rushe /> Information about who has chosen to follow an account and who a user has chosen to follow is also public, though accounts can be changed to "protected" which limits this information (and all tweets) to approved followers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://classroom.synonym.com/hide-followers-following-twitter-13288.html |title=How to Hide Your Followers & Who You Are Following on Twitter {{pipe}} The Classroom {{pipe}} Synonym |publisher=Classroom.synonym.com |date=November 9, 2015 |access-date=December 7, 2015}}</ref> Twitter collects [[personally identifiable information]] about its users and shares it with third parties as specified in its [[privacy policy]]. The service also reserves the right to sell this information as an asset if the company changes hands.<ref>{{cite web |title=Twitter Privacy Policy |url=https://www.twitter.com/privacy/ |date=May 14, 2007 |via=Twitter |access-date=March 11, 2009 |archive-date=June 25, 2009 |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20090625120644/https%3A//twitter.com/privacy |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=August 2024}}<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Welsh |first1=Caitlin |last2=Schroeder |first2=Stan |date=August 31, 2023 |title=We read X's new privacy policy so you don't have to |url=https://mashable.com/article/x-twitter-privacy-policy-update |access-date=June 3, 2024 |website=Mashable |language=en}}</ref> Advertisers can [[behavioral targeting|target users]] based on their history of tweets and may quote tweets in ads<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hansell |first=Saul |title=Advertisers Are Watching Your Every Tweet |url=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/16/advertisers-are-watching-your-every-tweet/ |date=July 16, 2009 |work=The New York Times |access-date=July 17, 2009}}</ref> directed specifically to the user.

Twitter launched the [[Beta version#Beta|beta version]] of their "Verified Accounts" service on June 11, 2009, allowing people with public profiles to announce their account name. The profile pages of these accounts display a badge indicating their status.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10263759-36.html |title=Twitter Power Players Get Shiny 'Verified' Badges |first=Caroline |last=McCarthy |publisher=[[CNET]] |date=June 12, 2009 |access-date=February 23, 2011 |archive-date=May 3, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503090313/http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10263759-36.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On December 14, 2010, the [[United States Department of Justice]] issued a [[Twitter subpoena|subpoena directing Twitter]] to provide information for accounts registered to or associated with [[WikiLeaks]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/01/07/twitter/subpoena.pdf |title=Twitter Subpoena |work=[[Salon.com]]|date=January 17, 2009 |access-date=January 10, 2011}}</ref> Twitter decided to notify its users and said, "... it's our policy to notify users about law enforcement and governmental requests for their information, unless we are prevented by law from doing so."<ref name="Rushe">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/jan/08/us-twitter-hand-icelandic-wikileaks-messages |title=Icelandic MP Fights US Demand for Her Twitter Account Details |work=[[The Guardian]] |author=Rushe, Dominic |date=January 8, 2011 |access-date=January 10, 2011 |location=London}}</ref>

In May 2011, a [[claimant]] known as "CTB" in the case of ''[[CTB v News Group Newspapers|CTB v Twitter Inc.]]'' took action against Twitter at the [[High Court of Justice|High Court of Justice of England and Wales]],<ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-20/twitter-inc-unknown-posters-sued-by-athlete-known-as-ctb-at-u-k-court.html "Twitter Inc., Unknown Posters Sued by Athlete Known as 'CTB' at U.K. Court"] Bloomberg L.P..com May 20, 2011</ref> requesting that the company release details of account holders. This followed gossip posted on Twitter about professional footballer [[Ryan Giggs]]'s private life. This led to the [[2011 British privacy injunctions controversy]] and the "super-injunction".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politics.co.uk/news/culture-media-and-sport/twitter-users-served-with-privacy-injunction-$21388933.htm |title=Twitter users served with privacy injunction |publisher=Politics.co.uk |access-date=May 22, 2011 |archive-date=May 23, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523133024/http://www.politics.co.uk/news/culture-media-and-sport/twitter-users-served-with-privacy-injunction-$21388933.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Tony Wang, the head of Twitter in Europe, said that people who do "bad things" on the site would need to defend themselves under the laws of their own jurisdiction in the event of controversy and that the site would hand over information about users to the authorities when it was legally required to do so.<ref name="wang">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13546847|work=[[BBC News]] |location=UK |title=Twitter's European boss Tony Wang gives legal warning|date=May 25, 2011 |access-date=May 25, 2011}}</ref> He also suggested that Twitter would accede to a UK court order to divulge names of users responsible for "illegal activity" on the site.<ref name="independent">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/twitter-chief-hints-he-may-have-to-divulge-users-names-2289187.html|work=[[The Independent]] |location=UK |title=Twitter chief hints he may have to divulge users' names|date=May 26, 2011 |access-date=December 13, 2011 |first=Lewis |last=Smith}}</ref>

Twitter acquired [[Dasient]], a startup that offers malware protection for businesses, in January 2012. Twitter announced plans to use Dasient to help remove hateful advertisers on the website.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/24/twitter-dasient-security-startup_n_1227842.html|title=Twitter Buys Dasient Security Startup To Combat Spam|work=HuffPost | date=January 24, 2012}}</ref> Twitter also offered a feature which would allow tweets to be removed selectively by country, before deleted tweets used to be removed in all countries.<ref name="BBC_censor">{{cite news |date=January 27, 2012|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16753729|title=Twitter to selectively 'censor' tweets by country|work=BBC News}}</ref><ref>[http://blog.twitter.com/2012/01/tweets-still-must-flow.html "Twitter Blog – Tweets still must flow"] January 26, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2012.</ref> The first use of the policy was to block the account of German [[neo-Nazi]] group [[Besseres Hannover]] on October 18, 2012.<ref>{{cite news |first=Nicholas |last=Kulish |title=Twitter Blocks Germans' Access to Neo-Nazi Group |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/19/world/europe/twitter-blocks-access-to-neo-nazi-group-in-germany.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018151821/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/19/world/europe/twitter-blocks-access-to-neo-nazi-group-in-germany.html |archive-date=October 18, 2012 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |website=The New York Times |date=October 18, 2012 |access-date=May 5, 2017}}</ref> The policy was used again the following day to remove [[anti-Semitic]] French tweets with the hashtag #unbonjuif ("a good Jew").<ref>{{cite news |title=Twitter removes French anti-Semitic tweets |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-20004671 |website=[[BBC News]] |publisher=BBC |date=October 19, 2012 |access-date=May 5, 2017}}</ref>

Followed the sharing of images showing the killing of American journalist [[James Foley (journalist)|James Foley]] in 2014, Twitter said that in certain cases it would delete pictures of people who had died after requests from family members and "authorized individuals".<ref>{{cite web |date=August 20, 2014 |title=Twitter Is Trying to Block Images of James Foley's Death |url=https://www.yahoo.com/tech/twitter-trying-to-block-images-of-james-foleys-death-95278352899.html |access-date=September 6, 2014 |publisher=Yahoo! Tech}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet|number=501860042338213889|user=wexler|first=Nu|last=Wexler|title=Twitter policy on media concerning a deceased user|date=August 19, 2014}}</ref>

In 2015, following updated terms of service and privacy policy, Twitter users outside the United States were legally served by the Ireland-based Twitter International Company instead of Twitter, Inc. The change made these users subject to Irish and [[Data Protection Directive|European Union data protection laws]].<ref name="irishtimes-twitterint">{{cite news |title=Ireland to become privacy regulator for 300m Twitter users |newspaper=The Irish Times |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/ireland-to-become-privacy-regulator-for-300m-twitter-users-1.2180137 |access-date=May 12, 2015}}</ref>

On April 8, 2020, Twitter announced that users outside of the European Economic Area or United Kingdom (thus subject to GDPR) will no longer be allowed to opt out of sharing "mobile app advertising measurements" to Twitter third-party partners.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kastrenakes |first=Jacob |date=April 8, 2020 |title=Twitter notifies users that it's now sharing more data with advertisers |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/8/21213593/twitter-data-sharing-pop-up-mobile-app-advertising-settings |access-date=April 9, 2020 |website=The Verge}}</ref>

On October 9, 2020, Twitter took additional steps to counter misleading campaigns ahead of the 2020 US Election. Twitter's new temporary update encouraged users to "add their own commentary" before retweeting a tweet, by making 'quoting tweet' a mandatory feature instead of optional. The social network giant aimed at generating context and encouraging the circulation of more thoughtful content.<ref>{{cite web |date=October 9, 2020 |title=Twitter is fighting election chaos by urging users to quote tweet instead of retweet |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/9/21509439/twitter-election-trump-quote-tweet-labels-rules-election |access-date=October 9, 2020 |website=The Verge}}</ref> After limited results, the company ended this experiment in December 2020.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bell |first1=K. |date=December 17, 2020 |title=Retweets are back to normal as Twitter ends its quote tweet experiment |work=Engadget |url=https://www.engadget.com/twitter-ends-quote-tweet-experiment-retweets-003202686.html |access-date=March 20, 2022}}</ref>

On May 25, 2022, Twitter was fined $150 million for collecting users' phone numbers and email addresses used for [[two-factor authentication|security]] and using them for [[targeted advertising]], required to notify its users, and banned from profiting from "deceptively collected data".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Milmo |first=Dan |date=May 26, 2022 |title=Twitter fined $150m for handing users' contact details to advertisers |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/may/25/twitter-user-data-advertising-settlement |access-date=May 27, 2022}}</ref> The [[Federal Trade Commission]] (FTC) and the [[Ministry of justice|Department of Justice]] stated that Twitter violated a 2011 agreement not to use personal security data for targeted advertising.

In September 2024, the FTC released a report summarizing 9 company responses (including from Twitter) to orders made by the agency pursuant to Section 6(b) of the [[Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914]] to provide information about user and non-user data collection (including of children and teenagers) and data use by the companies that found that the companies' user and non-user data practices put individuals vulnerable to [[identity theft]], [[stalking]], unlawful discrimination, emotional distress and [[Digital media use and mental health|mental health issues]], social stigma, and reputational harm.<ref>{{cite news|last=Tolentino|first=Daysia|date=September 19, 2024|title=Social media companies engaged in 'vast surveillance,' FTC finds, calling status quo 'unacceptable'|publisher=NBC News|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/social-media-companies-engaged-vast-surveillance-ftc-finds-calling-sta-rcna171814|access-date=September 21, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Del Valle|first=Gaby|date=September 19, 2024|title=The FTC says social media companies can't be trusted to regulate themselves|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/19/24249073/ftc-data-retention-privacy-report-facebook-meta-youtube-reddit|access-date=September 21, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite report|title=A Look Behind the Screens: Examining the Data Practices of Social Media and Video Streaming Services|year=2024|publisher=Federal Trade Commission|url=https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/Social-Media-6b-Report-9-11-2024.pdf|access-date=September 21, 2024}}</ref>

=== Harassment ===
In August 2013, Twitter announced plans to introduce a "report abuse" button for all versions of the site following uproar, including a petition with 100,000 signatures, over Tweets that included rape and death threats to historian [[Mary Beard (classicist)|Mary Beard]], feminist campaigner [[Caroline Criado-Perez]] and the member of parliament [[Stella Creasy]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23559605 "Twitter's Tony Wang issues apology to abuse victims"], BBC News, August 3, 2013. Retrieved August 3, 2013.</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/02/world/europe/of-pride-prejudice-and-harassment-on-twitter.html?_r=0 "Of Pride, Prejudice and Harassment on Twitter"] ''The New York Times'', August 3, 2013. Retrieved August 3, 2013.</ref><ref>[https://cnet.com/news/twitter-updates-its-rules-for-users-after-uproar-over-rape-bomb-threats/ "Twitter updates its rules for users, after uproar over rape, bomb threats"], CNET, August 3, 2013. Retrieved August 3, 2013.</ref> Twitter announced new reporting and blocking policies in December 2014,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/business/2014/12/twitter-announces-sweeping-update-to-reporting-blocking-tools/|title=Twitter announces sweeping update to reporting, blocking tools|work=Ars Technica|date=December 2, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/a/2014/building-a-safer-twitter.html|title=Building a safer Twitter|via=Twitter|access-date=July 30, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/videos/twitter-unveils-new-tools-to-fight-harassment/|title=Twitter unveils new tools to fight harassment| publisher=CBS News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.technewsworld.com/story/81442.html|title=Twitter Gives Harassed Users a Little Ammo|website=technewsworld.com|date=December 4, 2014 |access-date=July 30, 2019}}</ref> including a blocking mechanism devised by [[Randi Harper]], a target of [[GamerGate]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.techinsider.net/twitter-inc-twtr-could-use-gamergate-autoblocker-model-to-block-millions-of-fake-accounts/1120221.html|title=Twitter Inc (TWTR) Could Use Gamergate Autoblocker Model To Block Millions of Fake Accounts?|first=Fahad|last=Saleem|work=TechInsider|date=December 4, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/digital-culture/blocked-on-twitter-softwares-limits-in-the-fight-against-online-hate/article21920082/ |title=Blocked on Twitter: Software's limits in the fight against online hate |work=The Globe and Mail |location=Toronto |date=December 4, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Taylor |last=Wofford |title=One Woman's New Tool to Stop Gamergate Harassment on Twitter |date=November 29, 2014 |access-date=December 6, 2014 |website=Newsweek |url=http://www.newsweek.com/one-womans-new-tool-stop-gamergate-harassment-twitter-288008}}</ref> In February 2015, CEO [[Dick Costolo]] said he was 'frankly ashamed' at how poorly Twitter handled [[Internet troll|trolling]] and abuse, and admitted Twitter had lost users as a result.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Tiku|first1=Nitasha|title=Twitter CEO: 'We suck at dealing with abuse'|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/2/4/7982099/twitter-ceo-sent-memo-taking-personal-responsibility-for-the|website=The Verge|access-date=February 5, 2015|date=February 5, 2015}}</ref>

As per a research study conducted by IT for Change on abuse and misogynistic trolling on Twitter directed at Indian women in public-political life, women perceived to be ideologically left-leaning, dissenters, Muslim women, political dissenters, and political commentators and women from opposition parties received a disproportionate amount of abusive and hateful messages on Twitter.<ref>{{cite web | website=IT for Change | date=July 2022 | title=Profitable Provocations | url=https://itforchange.net/sites/default/files/2132/ITfC-Twitter-Report-Profitable-Provocations.pdf | access-date=July 4, 2023}}</ref>

In 2016, Twitter announced the creation of the Twitter Trust & Safety Council to help "ensure that people feel safe expressing themselves on Twitter". The council's inaugural members included 50 organizations and individuals.<ref>Twitter's corporate blog, [https://blog.twitter.com/2016/announcing-the-twitter-trust-safety-council "Announcing the Twitter Trust & Safety Council"]</ref> The announcement of Twitter's "Trust & Safety Council" was met with objection from parts of its userbase.<ref>{{cite book |last=Siegfried |first=Evan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4yXIDAAAQBAJ |title=GOP GPS |date=August 23, 2016 |publisher=Skyhorse |isbn=9781510717336 |access-date=November 12, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Albright |first=Dann |date=February 29, 2016 |title=Is Twitter's Trust & Safety Council a Front for Censorship? |url=http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/twitters-trust-safety-council-front-censorship/ |access-date=November 12, 2017 |publisher=Makeuseof}}</ref> Critics accused the member organizations of being heavily skewed towards "the restriction of hate speech" and a ''[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]]'' article expressed concern that "there's not a single uncompromising anti-censorship figure or group on the list".<ref>{{cite web |last=Puddephatt |first=Andrew |date=February 11, 2016 |title=Just Another 'Black Box'? First Thoughts on Twitter's Trust And Safety Council |url=http://www.circleid.com/posts/20160211_another_black_box_first_thoughts_on_twitters_trust_safety_council/ |access-date=November 12, 2017 |publisher=CircleID}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Soave |first=Robby |date=February 20, 2016 |title=Did Twitter's Orwellian 'Trust and Safety' Council Get Robert Stacy McCain Banned? |url=https://reason.com/blog/2016/02/20/did-twitters-orwellian-trust-and-safety |access-date=November 12, 2017 |work=Reason (magazine)}}</ref>

Twitter banned 7,000 accounts and limited 150,000 more that had ties to [[QAnon]] on July 21, 2020. The bans and limits came after QAnon-related accounts began harassing other users through practices of swarming or brigading, coordinated attacks on these individuals through multiple accounts in the weeks prior. Those accounts limited by Twitter will not appear in searches nor be promoted in other Twitter functions. Twitter said they will continue to ban or limit accounts as necessary, with their support account stating "We will permanently suspend accounts Tweeting about these topics that we know are engaged in violations of our multi-account policy, coordinating abuse around individual victims, or are attempting to evade a previous suspension".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Collins |first1=Ben |last2=Zadrozny |first2=Brandy |author-link2=Brandy Zadrozny |date=July 21, 2020 |title=Twitter bans 7,000 QAnon accounts, limits 150,000 others as part of broad crackdown |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/twitter-bans-7-000-qanon-accounts-limits-150-000-others-n1234541 |access-date=July 21, 2020 |publisher=[[NBC News]]}}</ref>

In September 2021, Twitter began beta testing a feature called Safety Mode.<ref name="Peters-2021">{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Jay |date=September 1, 2021 |title=Twitter's new Safety Mode autoblocks abusive accounts |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/1/22652572/twitter-safety-mode-autoblocks-abusive-accounts-beta |access-date=September 23, 2021 |website=The Verge}}</ref> The functionality aims to limit unwelcome interactions through automated detection of negative engagements. If a user has Safety Mode enabled, authors of tweets that are identified by Twitter's technology as being harmful or exercising uninvited behavior will be temporarily unable to follow the account, send direct messages, or see tweets from the user with the enabled functionality during the temporary block period.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vasile |first=Cosmin |title=Twitter launches Super Follows and Safety Mode |url=https://www.phonearena.com/news/twitter-super-follows-safety-mode-android-iOS_id134759 |access-date=May 18, 2022 |website=Phone Arena|date=September 2, 2021 }}</ref> Jarrod Doherty, senior product manager at Twitter, stated that the technology in place within Safety Mode assesses existing relationships to prevent blocking accounts that the user frequently interacts with.<ref name="Peters-2021" />

=== Suspect and contested accounts ===
{{See also|Deplatforming|Twitter suspensions}}
In January 2016, Twitter was sued by the widow of a U.S. man killed in the [[2015 Amman shooting attack]], claiming that allowing the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] (ISIL) to continually use the platform, including direct messages in particular,<ref name="verge-revisedisillawsuit">{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/8/30/12717178/twitter-isis-lawsuit-direct-message-revised-complaint|title=Revived lawsuit says Twitter DMs are like handing ISIS a satellite phone|website=The Verge|access-date=August 31, 2016|date=August 30, 2016}}</ref> constituted the [[Providing material support for terrorism|provision of material support to a terrorist organization]], which is illegal under U.S. federal law. Twitter disputed the claim, stating that "violent threats and the promotion of terrorism deserve no place on Twitter and, like other social networks, our rules make that clear".<ref name="wsj-isistwitter">{{cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2016/01/14/lawsuit-blames-twitter-for-isis-terrorist-attack/|title=Lawsuit Blames Twitter for ISIS Terrorist Attack|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=January 16, 2016}}</ref><ref name="wsj-twitterliable">{{cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/law/2016/01/15/can-twitter-be-liable-for-isis-tweets/|title=Can Twitter Be Liable for ISIS Tweets?|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=January 20, 2016}}</ref> The lawsuit was dismissed by the [[United States District Court for the Northern District of California]], upholding the [[Section 230]] safe harbor, which dictates that the operators of an interactive computer service are not liable for the content published by its users.<ref name="wsj-twitterliable" /><ref name="verge-section230isis">{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/8/10/11950098/twitter-isis-lawsuit-safe-harbor-terrorism|title=Twitter is not legally responsible for the rise of ISIS, rules California district court|website=The Verge|access-date=August 11, 2016|date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> The lawsuit was revised in August 2016, providing comparisons to other telecommunications devices.<ref name="verge-revisedisillawsuit" /> The second amended complaint was dismissed by the district court, a decision affirmed on appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on January 31, 2018.<ref name="fields-v-twitter-appeal">{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Milan D. Jr. |title=Fields v. Twitter, Inc. |url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca9/16-17165/16-17165-2018-01-31.html |publisher=United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit |access-date=May 24, 2024 |date=January 31, 2018}}</ref>

Twitter suspended multiple parody accounts that satirized Russian politics in May 2016, sparking protests and raising questions about where the company stands on [[freedom of speech]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/twitter-suspends-russian-satirical-accounts-raising-free-speech-questions/571146.html|title=Twitter Suspends Russian Satirical Accounts, Raising Free Speech Questions {{!}} News|website=The Moscow Times|date=June 2016 |access-date=June 2, 2016}}</ref> Following public outcry, Twitter restored the accounts the next day without explaining why the accounts had been suspended.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/02/twitter-unblocks-darthputinkgba-spoof-russia|title=Twitter unblocks spoof Putin account after widespread criticism|last1=Times|first1=The Moscow|last2=network|first2=part of the New East|date=June 2, 2016|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=June 2, 2016}}</ref> The same day, Twitter, along with Facebook, Google, and [[Microsoft]], jointly agreed to a [[European Union]] code of conduct obligating them to review "[the] majority of valid notifications for removal of illegal [[hate speech]]" posted on their services within 24 hours.<ref name="guardian-euhatespeech">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/may/31/facebook-youtube-twitter-microsoft-eu-hate-speech-code|title=Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Microsoft sign EU hate speech code|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=June 7, 2016|date=May 31, 2016|last1=Hern|first1=Alex}}</ref> In August 2016, Twitter stated that it had banned 235,000 accounts over the past six months, bringing the overall number of suspended accounts to 360,000 accounts in the past year, for violating policies banning use of the platform to promote extremism.<ref>{{cite news|first=Elizabeth|last=Weise|title=Twitter suspends 235,000 accounts for extremism|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2016/08/18/twitter-suspends-235000-terrorism-extremism/88955432|newspaper=USA Today|date=August 18, 2016 |access-date=November 20, 2016}}</ref>

On May 10, 2019, Twitter announced that they suspended 166,513 accounts for promoting terrorism in the July–December 2018 period, stating there was a steady decrease in terrorist groups trying to use the platform owing to its "zero-tolerance policy enforcement". According to [[Vijaya Gadde]], Legal, Policy and Trust and Safety Lead at Twitter, there was a reduction of 19% terror related tweets from the previous reporting period (January–June 2018).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.com/magazines/panache/twitter-suspended-over-1-6-lakh-accounts-for-promoting-terrorism/articleshow/69268206.cms|title=Twitter suspended over 1.6 lakh terror-promoting accounts in six months|date=May 10, 2019|work=The Economic Times|access-date=February 22, 2021|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531194121/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/twitter-suspended-over-1-6-lakh-accounts-for-promoting-terrorism/articleshow/69268206.cms|archive-date=May 31, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.engadget.com/2019/05/09/twitter-transparency-report-terrorism-child-exploitation/|title=Twitter suspensions for promoting terrorism drop yet again|last=Holt|first=Kris|date=May 10, 2019|work=Engadget|access-date=May 10, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://fortune.com/2019/05/10/twitter-transparency-report-abuse/|title=Twitter's User-Reported Violations Jumped 19%—but the Number of Accounts Punished Dropped|last=Abril|first=Danielle|date=May 10, 2019|work=Fortune}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/twitter-reports-fall-in-extreme-content|title=Twitter reports fall in extreme content|date=May 10, 2019|work=SBS News|access-date=May 10, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.firstpost.com/tech/news-analysis/twitter-has-suspended-more-than-166000-accounts-related-to-promotion-of-terrorism-6611591.html|title=Twitter has suspended more than 166,000 accounts related to promotion of terrorism|date=May 10, 2019|work=Tech2|access-date=May 10, 2019|publisher=Firstpost}}</ref>

As of July 30, 2020, Twitter will block URLs in tweets that point to external websites that contain malicious content (such as malware and phishing content) as well as hate speech, speech encouraging violence, terrorism, child sexual exploitation, breaches of privacy, and other similar content that is already banned as part of the content of tweets on the site. Users that frequently point to such sites may have their accounts suspended. Twitter said this was to bring their policy in line to prevent users from bypassing their tweet content restrictions by simply linking to the banned content.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.engadget.com/twitter-bans-links-hateful-conduct-violence-010623900.html | title = Twitter will block links promoting hate speech and violence | first= Karissa | last = Bell | date = July 28, 2020 | access-date = July 28, 2020 |work = [[Engadget]] }}</ref>

Following the onset of protests by [[Donald Trump]]'s supporters across the US in January 2021, Twitter suspended more than 70,000 accounts, stating that they shared "harmful [[QAnon]]-associated content" at a large scale, and were "dedicated to the propagation of this conspiracy theory across the service".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/12/22226503/twitter-qanon-account-suspension-70000-capitol-riots|title=Twitter bans 70,000 QAnon accounts as conservatives report lost followers|access-date=January 12, 2020|website=The Verge}}</ref>

===Malicious and fake accounts===
Between January and late July 2017, Twitter had identified and shut down over 7,000 fake accounts created by Iranian influence operations.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/07/25/its-not-just-russians-anymore-iranians-others-turn-up-disinformation-efforts-ahead-vote/ |title=It's not just the Russians anymore as Iranians and others turn up disinformation efforts ahead of 2020 vote |date=July 25, 2019 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |last1=Timberg |first1=Craig |last2=Romm |first2=Tony}}</ref>

In May 2018, in response to scrutiny over the misuse of Twitter by those seeking to maliciously influence elections, Twitter announced that it would partner with the nonprofit organization [[Ballotpedia]] to add special labels verifying the authenticity of political candidates running for election in the U.S.<ref>{{cite news|title=Twitter to add labels to U.S. political candidates|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/twitter-to-add-labels-to-u-s-political-candidates/ |access-date=May 23, 2018|publisher=CBS|date=May 23, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Scola|first1=Nancy |title=Twitter to verify election candidates in the midterms|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/23/twitter-verify-candidates-midterms-2018-1282802 |access-date=May 23, 2018|work=Politico|date=May 23, 2018}}</ref>

In December 2019, Twitter removed 5,929 accounts for violating their [[Internet manipulation|manipulation]] policies. The company investigated and attributed these accounts to a single state-run information operation, which originated in Saudi Arabia. The accounts were reported to be a part of a larger group of 88,000 accounts engaged in [[Spamming|spammy behavior]]. However, Twitter did not disclose all of them as some could possibly be legitimate accounts taken over through [[Security hacker|hacking]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/national/18116303.twitter-facebook-remove-accounts-interference-crackdown/ |title=Twitter and Facebook remove accounts in interference crackdown|access-date=December 20, 2019|website=York Press|date=December 20, 2019 }}</ref>

In March 2021, Twitter suspended around 3,500 fake accounts that were running a campaign to influence the American audience, after the US intelligence officials concluded that the assassination of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' journalist [[Jamal Khashoggi]] was "approved" by the Saudi Crown Prince [[Mohammed bin Salman]]. These Saudi accounts were working in two languages, English and Arabic, to influence public opinion around the issue. Many accounts commented directly on the tweets of US-based media houses, including ''The Post'', ''CNN'', ''[[CBS News]]'' and ''[[The Los Angeles Times]]''. Twitter was unable to identify the source of the influence campaign.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/03/02/saudi-khashoggi-twitter-mbs/ |title=When U.S. blamed Saudi crown prince for role in Khashoggi killing, fake Twitter accounts went to war|access-date=March 7, 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>

{{as of|2022}}, the top four countries spreading state-linked Twitter misinformation are Russia, China, Iran and Saudi Arabia.<ref name="aspi2022">{{cite web |title=Understanding Global Disinformation and Information Operations: Insights from ASPI's new analytic website |url=https://www.aspi.org.au/report/understanding_global_disinformation_information_operations |publisher=[[Australian Strategic Policy Institute]] |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220429013917/https://www.aspi.org.au/report/understanding_global_disinformation_information_operations |archive-date=April 29, 2022 |date=March 30, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Bot accounts===
{{main|Twitter bot}}
A bot is a computer program that can automatically tweet, retweet, and follow other accounts. Twitter's open [[application programming interface]] and the availability of cloud servers make it possible for bots to exist within the social networking site.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Dubbin |first=Rob |title=The Rise Of Twitter Bots |url= https://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2013/11/the-rise-of-twitter-bots.html |magazine=The New Yorker |access-date=May 15, 2014}}</ref> Benign bots may generate creative content and relevant product updates, whereas malicious bots can make unpopular people seem popular, push irrelevant products on users, and spread misinformation, spam or slander.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Miners|first=Zach|title=Bot or Not? Researchers make an app to sniff out bots on Twitter|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/2151900/is-that-twitter-account-a-bot-researchers-make-app-to-find-out.html |magazine=PC World|access-date=May 15, 2014|date=May 6, 2014}}</ref> Bots amass significant influence and have been noted to sway elections, influence the stock market, appeal to the public, and attack governments.<ref>{{cite news|last=Urbina|first=Ian|title=I Flirt and Tweet. Follow Me at No. Socialbot |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/11/sunday-review/i-flirt-and-tweet-follow-me-at-socialbot.html |work=The New York Times|access-date=May 15, 2014|date=August 10, 2013}}</ref> {{As of|2013}}, Twitter said there were 20 million fake accounts on Twitter, representing less than 5% of active users.<ref>{{cite web |last=D'onfro |first=Jillian |date=October 4, 2013 |title=Twitter Admits 5% Of Its 'Users' Are Fake |url=http://www.businessinsider.in/Twitter-Admits-5-Of-Its-Users-Are-Fake/articleshow/23479699.cms |access-date=May 15, 2014 |website=Business Insider}}</ref> A 2020 estimate put the figure at 15% of all accounts or around 48 million accounts.<ref name=Rodriguez>{{cite journal |last1=Rodrıguez-Ruiz |first1=Jorge |last2=Mata-Sanchez |first2=Javier Israel |last3=Monroy |first3=Raul |last4=Loyola-Gonzalez |first4=Octavio |last5=Ĺopez-Cuevas |first5=Armando |date=April 2020 |title=A one-class classification approach for bot detection on Twitter |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167404820300031 |journal=Computers & Security |volume=91 |page=101715 |doi=10.1016/j.cose.2020.101715 |s2cid=212689495 |access-date=June 17, 2022}}</ref>

==Society==
=== Usage ===
{{Main|Twitter usage}}
{{summarize|from|Twitter usage|section=y|brevity=y|date=November 2023}}
[[File:Twitter Town Hall-Dorsey Obama.png|thumb|alt=Man in his twenties smiling at left, man in his forties using computer at center, large crystal chandelier, several people in audience|Dorsey (left) said after a [[Barack Obama on social media|Twitter Town Hall with Barack Obama]] held in July 2011, that Twitter received over 110,000 #Ask[[Barack Obama|Obama]] tweets.<ref>{{Cite AV media|people=Jack Dorsey|title=Impressions on the White House Twitter Townhall|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/photos-and-video/video/2011/07/08/impressions-white-house-twitter-townhall|date=July 8, 2011|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|publisher=[[White House]]|access-date=July 10, 2011}}</ref>]]

==== Protesters ====
Twitter had been used for a variety of purposes in many industries and scenarios. For example, it has been used to organize protests, including the [[April 2009 Moldovan parliamentary election protests|protests over the 2009 Moldovan election]], the [[2009 student protests in Austria]], the 2009 [[Gaza–Israel conflict]], the 2009 [[Iranian Green Movement|Iranian green revolution]], the 2010 [[2010 G20 Toronto summit protests|Toronto G20 protests]], the 2010 [[Bolivarian Revolution]], the 2010 [[Stuttgart 21|Stuttgart 21 protests in Germany]], the 2011 [[Egyptian revolution of 2011|Egyptian Revolution]], [[2011 England riots]], the 2011 United States [[Occupy movement]], the 2011 [[anti-austerity movement in Spain]], the 2011 [[Anti-austerity movement in Greece|Aganaktismenoi movements in Greece]], the 2011 [[2011 Rome demonstration|demonstration in Rome]], the 2011 [[2011 Wisconsin protests|Wisconsin labor protests]], the 2012 [[Gaza–Israel conflict]], the [[2013 protests in Brazil]], and the 2013 [[Gezi Park protests|Gezi Park protests in Turkey]].<ref name="Buettner2016a">{{cite conference |title=A Systematic Literature Review of Twitter Research from a Socio-Political Revolution Perspective |author1=Buettner, Ricardo |author2=Buettner, Katharina |name-list-style=amp |year=2016 |conference=49th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences |conference-url=http://www.hicss.org |publisher=IEEE |location=Kauai, Hawaii |doi=10.13140/RG.2.1.4239.9442}}</ref>

The service was also used as a form of [[civil disobedience]]: In 2010, users expressed outrage over the [[Twitter joke trial]] by copying a controversial joke about bombing an airport and attaching the hashtag #IAmSpartacus, a reference to the film ''[[Spartacus (film)|Spartacus]]'' (1960) and a sign of solidarity and support to a man controversially prosecuted after posting a tweet joking about bombing [[Doncaster Sheffield Airport|an airport]] if they canceled his flight. #IAmSpartacus became the number one trending topic on Twitter worldwide.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/nov/12/iamspartacus-campaign-twitter-airport|title=#IAmSpartacus campaign explodes on Twitter in support of airport joker|last=Siddique|first=Haroon|date=November 12, 2010|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=November 20, 2016}}</ref> Another case of civil disobedience happened in the [[2011 British privacy injunctions controversy|2011 British privacy injunction debate]], where several celebrities who had taken out anonymized injunctions were identified by thousands of users in protest to traditional journalism being censored.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/may/22/scottish-newspaper-identifies-injuction-footballer|title=Scottish newspaper identifies injunction footballer|last1=Gabbatt|first1=Adam|last2=Taylor|first2=Matthew|date=May 22, 2011|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=May 22, 2011}}</ref>

==== Governments ====
According to documents leaked by [[Edward Snowden]] and published in July 2014, the United Kingdom's [[GCHQ]] has a tool named BIRDSONG for "automated posting of Twitter updates" and a tool named BIRDSTRIKE for "Twitter monitoring and profile collection".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28306819|title=GCHQ leak lists UK cyber-spies' hacking tools|work=BBC News|date=July 15, 2014|access-date= July 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>[https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1217406-jtrigall.html#document/p4 "JTRIG Tools and Techniques"]. Retrieved July 16, 2014.</ref>

During the [[2019–20 Hong Kong protests]], [[Reactions to the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests#Other reactions|Twitter suspended a core group]] of 1,000 "fake" accounts and an associated network of 200,000 accounts for operating a [[disinformation]] campaign that was linked to the [[Chinese government]].<ref>{{cite web|first1=Makena|last1=Kelly|access-date=August 28, 2019|title=Facebook and Twitter uncover Chinese trolls spreading doubts about Hong Kong protests|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/19/20812621/twitter-facebook-china-hong-kong-protests-information-operation-disinfo|date=August 19, 2019|website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|access-date=August 28, 2019|title=Hong Kong protests: Twitter and Facebook crack down on "deceptive" accounts linked to China|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hong-kong-protests-twitter-facebook-crack-down-on-deceptive-accounts-linked-to-china/|publisher=[[CBS News]]|first=Ramy|last=Inocencio|date=August 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Information operations directed at Hong Kong|url=https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/company/2019/information_operations_directed_at_Hong_Kong|website=Twitter Blog|date=August 19, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|access-date=August 28, 2019|title=China cries foul over Facebook, Twitter block of fake accounts|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-protests-twitter-idUSKCN1VA0RQ|work=Reuters|date=August 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|access-date=August 28, 2019|title=China Resists Charge by Twitter, Facebook of Disinformation Effort|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-resists-charge-by-twitter-facebook-of-disinformation-effort-11566339132|website=The Wall Street Journal|date=August 20, 2019}}</ref>

On June 12, 2020, Twitter suspended over 7,000 accounts from Turkey because those accounts were fake profiles, designed to support the Turkish president, [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]], and were managed by a central authority. Turkey's communication director said that the decision was illogical, biased, and politically motivated.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ankara reacts to Twitter's move to suspend accounts|url=https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ankara-reacts-to-twitters-move-to-suspend-accounts-155608|website=Hürriyet Daily News|date=June 13, 2020}}</ref> Turkey blocked access to Twitter twice, once after voice recordings appeared on Twitter in which Erdoğan ordered his son to stash away millions of dollars and another time for 12 hours in the aftermath of the [[2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake|earthquake of February 2023]], when Erdoğan blamed the people for a disinformation campaign as they criticized the Government for their lack of help.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Burga |first=Solcyre |date=February 15, 2023 |title=How Turkey's Earthquake Response Failed Its People |url=https://time.com/6255634/earthquake-turkey-syria-erdogan-rescue/ |access-date=February 17, 2023 |magazine=Time |language=en}}</ref>

In May 2021, Twitter labeled one of the tweets by [[Sambit Patra]], a spokesman of the local ruling party [[Bharatiya Janata Party|BJP]] in India, as "manipulated media", leading to Twitter's offices in Delhi and [[Gurgaon]] being raided by the local police.<ref name=DelhiRaid>{{cite news |title=Police in India visited Twitter offices over 'manipulated media' label |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/05/24/delhi-police-run-by-indias-central-government-raids-twitter-offices-over-manipulated-label/ |last=Singh |first=Manish |work=TechCrunch |date=May 24, 2021 |access-date=May 27, 2021}}</ref> Later, the [[Government of India|Indian government]] released a statement in July 2021 claiming Twitter has lost its liability protection concerning user-generated content. This was brought on by Twitter's failure to comply with the [[Information Technology Rules, 2021|new IT rules]] introduced in 2021, with a filing stating that the company failed to appoint executives to govern user content on the platform.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 6, 2021 |title=Twitter loses immunity over user-generated content in India |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/india/twitter-loses-immunity-over-user-generated-content-india-2021-07-06/ |access-date=July 6, 2021}}</ref>

According to a report by Reuters, the United States ran a [[Propaganda in the United States|propaganda]] campaign to spread disinformation about the [[Sinovac Biotech|Sinovac]] Chinese COVID-19 vaccine, including using fake social media accounts on Twitter to spread the disinformation that the Sinovac vaccine contained pork-derived ingredients and was therefore ''[[haram]]'' under [[Sharia|Islamic law]].<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |last1=Bing |first1=Chris |last2=Schechtman |first2=Joel |date=June 14, 2024 |title=Pentagon Ran Secret Anti-Vax Campaign to Undermine China during Pandemic |url=https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-covid-propaganda/ |work=Reuters}}</ref> The campaign primarily targeted people in the Philippines and used a social media hashtag for "China is the virus" in [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]].<ref name=":6" />

==== Pornographic content ====
Twitter allows pornographic content as long as it is marked "sensitive" by uploaders, which puts it behind an interstice and hides it from minors.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Twitter's sensitive media policy {{!}} Twitter Help |url=https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/media-policy |access-date=April 14, 2022 |via=Twitter}}</ref> The "super-follow" feature is said to enable competition with the subscription site [[OnlyFans]], used mainly by sex workers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 4, 2021 |title=How Twitter is becoming more like OnlyFans – and what that means for users |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/twitter-only-fans-pornography-adult-content-subscription-b1812464.html |access-date=April 14, 2022 |website=The Independent}}</ref> Many performers use Twitter's service to market and grow their porn businesses, attracting users to paywalled services like OnlyFans by distributing photos and short video clips as advertisements.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Newton |first=Casey |date=August 30, 2022 |title=How Twitter's child porn problem ruined its plans for an OnlyFans competitor |url=https://www.theverge.com/23327809/twitter-onlyfans-child-sexual-content-problem-elon-musk |access-date=June 3, 2024 |website=The Verge |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Dickson |first=Ej |date=February 2, 2021 |title=Sex Workers Worry They're Going to Be Purged From Twitter |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/sex-worker-twitter-deplatform-1118826/ |access-date=June 3, 2024 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref>

In April 2022, Twitter convened a "Red Team" for the project of ACM, "Adult Content Monetization", as it is known internally. Eventually, the project was abandoned, because of the difficulty of implementing Real ID.<ref name="Newton-2022"/>

==== Child sexual exploitation ====
A February 2021 report from the company's Health team begins, "While the amount of CSE (child sexual exploitation) online has grown exponentially, Twitter's investment in technologies to detect and manage the growth has not."<ref name="Newton-2022" />

Until February 2022, the only way for users to flag illegal content was to flag it as "sensitive media", a broad category that left much of the worst material unprioritized for moderation. In a February report, employees wrote that Twitter, along with other Tech Companies have "accelerated the pace of CSE content creation and distribution to a breaking point where manual detection, review, and investigations no longer scale" by allowing pornography and failing to invest in systems that could effectively monitor it. The working group made several recommendations, but they were not taken up and the group was disbanded.<ref name="Newton-2022" />

As part of its efforts to monetize porn, Twitter held an internal investigation that reported in April 2022, "Twitter cannot accurately detect child sexual exploitation and non-consensual nudity at scale."<ref name="Newton-2022">{{Cite web |last=Newton |first=Casey |date=August 30, 2022 |title=How Twitter's child porn problem ruined its plans for an OnlyFans competitor |url=https://www.theverge.com/23327809/twitter-onlyfans-child-sexual-content-problem-elon-musk |access-date=September 30, 2022 |website=The Verge}}</ref>

''John Doe et al. v. Twitter'', a civil lawsuit filed in the 9th Circuit Court, alleges that Twitter benefited from sex trafficking and refused to remove the illegal tweets when first informed of them.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Twitter Faces Claim It Benefited From Child Sex Trafficking |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/product-liability-and-toxics-law/twitter-faces-claim-it-benefited-from-child-sex-trafficking |access-date=September 30, 2022 |website=news.bloomberglaw.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Doe v. Twitter, Inc., 555 F. Supp. 3d 889 (N.D. Cal. 2021), Court Opinion |url=https://www.bloomberglaw.com/public/desktop/document/Doe_v_Twitter_Inc_No_21cv00485JCS_2021_BL_313988_ND_Cal_Aug_19_20?1664500107 |access-date=September 30, 2022 |website=bloomberglaw.com}}</ref> In an amicus brief filed in the case, the [[National Center for Missing & Exploited Children|NCMEC]] said, "The children informed the company that they were minors, that they had been 'baited, harassed, and threatened' into making the videos, that they were victims of 'sex abuse' under investigation by law enforcement" but Twitter failed to remove the videos, "allowing them to be viewed by hundreds of thousands of the platform's users".<ref name="Newton-2022" />

Some major brands, including [[Dyson (company)|Dyson]], [[Mazda]], [[Forbes]], and [[PBS Kids]] suspended their marketing campaigns and pulled their ads from the platform after an investigation showed that Twitter failed to suspend 70% of the accounts that shared or solicited the prohibited content.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Dang |first1=Sheila |last2=Paul |first2=Katie |date=September 29, 2022 |title=Exclusive: Brands blast Twitter for ads next to child pornography accounts |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/exclusive-brands-blast-twitter-ads-next-child-pornography-accounts-2022-09-28/ |access-date=September 30, 2022}}</ref>

===Impact===
{{Summarize section|date=May 2022}}

====Emergency use====
A practical use for Twitter's real-time functionality is as an effective ''de facto'' emergency communication system for breaking news. It was neither intended nor designed for high-performance communication, but the idea that it could be used for emergency communication was not lost on the creators, who knew that the service could have wide-reaching effects early on when the company used it to communicate during earthquakes.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Alexander |last1=Mills |first2=Rui |last2=Chen |first3=JinKyu |last3=Lee |first4=H. Raghav |last4=Rao |title=Web 2.0 Emergency Applications: How Useful Can Twitter Be for Emergency Response? |journal=Twitter for Emergency Management and Mitigation |year=2009 |page=3 |url=http://denman-mills.net/web_documents/jips_mills.etal._2009.07.22_finalsubmission.pdf |access-date=November 20, 2016 |archive-date=February 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206120212/http://denman-mills.net/web_documents/jips_mills.etal._2009.07.22_finalsubmission.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Another practical use that is being studied is Twitter's ability to track epidemics and how they spread.<ref>{{cite news |first=Brooke |last=Jarvis |title=Twitter becomes a tool for tracking flu epidemics and other public health issues |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/twitter-becomes-a-tool-for-tracking-flu-epidemics-and-other-public-health-issues/2013/03/04/9d4315c2-6eef-11e2-aa58-243de81040ba_story.html |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=March 4, 2013 |access-date=November 21, 2016}}</ref> Additionally Twitter serves as a real-time sensor for natural disasters such as bushfires and earthquakes.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Robert |last1=Power |first2=Bella |last2=Robinson |first3=David |last3=Ratcliffe |title=Finding Fires with Twitter |url=http://www.aclweb.org/anthology/U/U13/U13-1011.pdf |journal=Proceedings of Australasian Language Technology Association Workshop |year=2013 |access-date=November 21, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |first1=Paul |last1=Earle |first2=Daniel |last2=Bowden |first3=Michelle |last3=Guy |title=Twitter earthquake detection: earthquake monitoring in a social world |url=http://www.annalsofgeophysics.eu/index.php/annals/article/view/5364 |journal=Annals of Geophysics |year=2011 |volume=54 |issue=6 |page=708 |doi=10.4401/ag-5364 |bibcode=2011AnGp...54..708E |access-date=November 21, 2016|hdl=20.500.11850/364555 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

====Education====
Twitter has been adopted as a communication and learning tool in educational and research<ref>{{Cite journal | volume = 3| issue = 1| last = Grandjean| first = Martin| title = A social network analysis of Twitter: Mapping the digital humanities community| journal =Cogent Arts & Humanities|year = 2016| page = 1171458| doi=10.1080/23311983.2016.1171458| s2cid = 114999767| doi-access = free}}</ref> settings mostly in colleges and universities.<ref>Rankin, M. (2010). [http://www.utdallas.edu/~mrankin/usweb/twitterconclusions.htm "Some general comments on the 'Twitter Experiment'"]</ref><ref>Grosseck & Holotescu (2008). [http://www.cblt.soton.ac.uk/multimedia/PDFsMM09/Can%20we%20use%20twitter%20for%20educational%20activities.pdf "Can we use Twitter for educational activities?"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120518012255/http://www.cblt.soton.ac.uk/multimedia/PDFsMM09/Can%20we%20use%20twitter%20for%20educational%20activities.pdf |date=May 18, 2012 }} Proceedings of the 4th International Scientific Conference: eLearning and Software forEducation, Bucharest, Romania.</ref> It has been used as a [[backchannel]] to promote student interactions, especially in large-lecture courses.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Elavsky | first1=C. Michael | last2=Mislan | first2=Cristina | last3=Elavsky | first3=Steriani | title=When talking less is more: exploring outcomes of Twitter usage in the large-lecture hall | journal=Learning, Media and Technology | volume=36 | issue=3 |year=2011 | issn=1743-9884 | doi=10.1080/17439884.2010.549828 | pages=215–233}}</ref> Research has found that using Twitter in college courses helps students communicate with each other and faculty, promotes informal learning, allows shy students a forum for increased participation, increases student engagement, and improves overall course grades.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Junco | first1=R. | last2=Heiberger | first2=G. | last3=Loken | first3=E. | title=The effect of Twitter on college student engagement and grades: Twitter and student engagement | journal=Journal of Computer Assisted Learning | volume=27 | issue=2 |year=2011 | doi=10.1111/j.1365-2729.2010.00387.x | pages=119–132 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227770312}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1=Junco | first1=Reynol | last2=Elavsky | first2=C. Michael | last3=Heiberger | first3=Greg | title=Putting twitter to the test: Assessing outcomes for student collaboration, engagement and success | journal=British Journal of Educational Technology | volume=44 | issue=2 |year=2013 | issn=0007-1013 | doi=10.1111/j.1467-8535.2012.01284.x | pages=273–287 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284893164}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1=Ebner | first1=Martin | last2=Lienhardt | first2=Conrad | last3=Rohs | first3=Matthias | last4=Meyer | first4=Iris | title=Microblogs in Higher Education – A chance to facilitate informal and process-oriented learning? | journal=Computers & Education | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=55 | issue=1 | year=2010 | issn=0360-1315 | doi=10.1016/j.compedu.2009.12.006 | pages=92–100 |url=https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=297b74e3d3039905571af00a01dfa92a28aaaf3f}}</ref>

Twitter has been an increasingly growing in the field of education as an effective tool that can be used to encourage learning and idea, or knowledge sharing, in and outside the classroom.<ref name="Carrie-2015">{{Cite journal|last1=Carrie|first1=Ross|last2=Maninger|first2=Robert|last3=LaPrairie|first3=Kimberly|last4=Sullivan|first4=Sam|date=Spring 2015|title=The Use of Twitter in the Creation of Educational Professional Learning Opportunities|url=https://dc.swosu.edu/aij/vol5/iss1/6|journal=Administrative Issues Journal: Connecting Education, Practice, and Research.|volume= 5|pages=55–76|issn=2153-7615|doi=10.5929/2015.5.1.7|doi-broken-date=November 18, 2024 |id={{ERIC|EJ1062476}}|doi-access=free}}</ref> By using or creating hashtags, students and educators are able to communicate under specific categories of their choice to enhance and promote education. A broad example of a hashtag used in education is "edchat", to communicate with other teachers and people using that hashtag. Once teachers find someone they want to talk to, they can either direct message the person or narrow down the hashtag to make the topic of the conversation more specific, using hashtags for scichat (science), engchat (English), sschat (social studies).<ref name="Carrie-2015" />

====Public figures====
[[Jonathan Zittrain]], professor of Internet law at [[Harvard Law School]], said that "the qualities that make Twitter seem inane and half-baked are what makes it so powerful."<ref>{{registration required|date=February 2011}} {{Cite news| first=Noam | last=Cohen | title=Twitter on the Barricades: Six Lessons Learned | date=June 20, 2009 | work=The New York Times | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/weekinreview/21cohenweb.html?_r=1&hp | access-date = June 21, 2009 }}</ref> In that same vein, and with Sigmund Freud in mind, political communications expert Matthew Auer observed that well-crafted tweets by public figures often deliberately mix trivial and serious information so as to appeal to all three parts of the reader's personality: the id, ego, and superego.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Matthew |last1=Auer |title=The Policy Sciences of Social Media |journal=Policy Studies Journal |year=2011 |volume=39 |issue=4 |pages=709–736 |doi=10.1111/j.1541-0072.2011.00428.x |s2cid=153590593 }}</ref> The poets [[Mira Gonzalez]] and [[Tao Lin]] published a book titled ''Selected Tweets'' featuring selections of their tweets over some eight years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thefader.com/2015/06/08/mira-gonzalez-tao-lin-twitter-interview-with-juliet-escoria|title=Mira Gonzalez And Tao Lin's Selected Tweets Is Deeper Than It Seems|publisher=The Fader|date=June 8, 2015|last=Escoria|first=Julia|access-date=January 6, 2021}}</ref> The novelist [[Rick Moody]] wrote a short story for Electric Literature called "Some Contemporary Characters", composed entirely of tweets.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Rick Moody's Twitter Short Story Draws Long List of Complaints|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2009/12/01/rick-moodys-twitter-short-story-draws-long-list-of-complaints/|date=December 1, 2009|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=May 19, 2012|first=Steven|last=Kurutz}}</ref>

Many commentators have suggested that Twitter radically changed the format of reporting due to instant, short, and frequent communication.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Impact of Twitter on Journalism {{!}} Off Book|url=https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/2c19b182-83df-4168-b61b-158d993e8de2/the-impact-of-twitter-on-journalism/|access-date=January 31, 2021|website=PBS LearningMedia}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Chamberlain|first=Craig|title=How has Twitter changed news coverage?|url=https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/267046|access-date=January 31, 2021|website=news.illinois.edu}}</ref> According to ''[[The Atlantic]]'' writers Benjamin M. Reilly and Robinson Meyer, Twitter has an outsized impact on the public discourse and media. "Something happens on Twitter; celebrities, politicians and journalists talk about it, and it's circulated to a wider audience by Twitter's algorithms; journalists write about the dustup." This can lead to an argument on a Twitter feed looking like a "debate roiling the country... regular people are left with a confused, agitated view of our current political discourse".<ref>{{Cite web|date=February 12, 2020|title=Twitter Is Not as Important as Journalists Make It Seem|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/letters/archive/2020/02/twitter-is-bad-for-the-news/605782/|access-date=January 31, 2021|website=The Atlantic}}</ref> In a 2018 article in the ''[[Columbia Journalism Review]]'', Matthew Ingram argued much the same about Twitter's "oversized role" and that it promotes immediacy over newsworthiness.<ref name="Ingram-2021">{{Cite web|title=Do journalists pay too much attention to Twitter?|url=https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/journalists-on-twitter-study.php|access-date=January 31, 2021|website=Columbia Journalism Review}}</ref> In some cases, inauthentic and provocative tweets were taken up as common opinion in mainstream articles. Writers in several outlets unintentionally cited the opinions of Russian [[Internet Research Agency]]-affiliated accounts.<ref name="Ingram-2021" /><ref name="Luk">{{Cite web|title=Most major outlets have used Russian tweets as sources for partisan opinion: study|url=https://www.cjr.org/analysis/tweets-russia-news.php|access-date=January 31, 2021|website=Columbia Journalism Review}}</ref>

====World leaders====
[[File:Donald Trump Facebook Twitter post 19679418 10159419638630725 2833632475130915488.jpg|thumb|Donald Trump's Twitter post]]
World leaders and their diplomats have taken note of Twitter's rapid expansion and have been increasingly using [[Twitter diplomacy]], the use of Twitter to engage with foreign publics and their own citizens. US Ambassador to Russia, [[Michael A. McFaul]] has been attributed as a pioneer of international Twitter diplomacy. He used Twitter after becoming ambassador in 2011, posting in English and Russian.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ländler |first=Mark |title=In the Scripted World of Diplomacy, a Burst of Tweets |work=International New York Times |access-date=April 28, 2014 |date=February 4, 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/05/world/middleeast/in-the-scripted-world-of-diplomacy-a-burst-of-tweets.html
}}</ref> On October 24, 2014, [[Queen Elizabeth II]] sent her first tweet to mark the opening of the [[London Science Museum]]'s Information Age exhibition.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29754628|title=Queen's first tweet.|newspaper=BBC News|date=October 24, 2014|last1=Cellan-Jones|first1=Rory}}</ref> A 2013 study by website Twiplomacy found that 153 of the 193 countries represented at the United Nations had established government Twitter accounts.<ref name="twiplomacy">{{cite web|publisher=Twiplomacy.com|title=Twiplomacy Study 2013 – International Organisations|url=http://twiplomacy.com|access-date=April 27, 2014}}</ref> The same study also found that those accounts amounted to 505 Twitter handles used by world leaders and their foreign ministers, with their tweets able to reach a combined audience of over 106 million followers.<ref name=twiplomacy />

According to an analysis of accounts, the heads of state of 125 countries and 139 other leading politicians have Twitter accounts that have between them sent more than 350,000 tweets and have almost 52 million followers. However, only 30 of these do their own tweeting, more than 80 do not subscribe to other politicians and many do not follow any accounts.<ref>John Heilprin ''Leaders all a twitter but few do own tweets'' [[The Advertiser (Adelaide)|The Advertiser]] July 28, 2012, Pg 64</ref>

[[Pope Benedict XVI]]'s Twitter account was set up in 2012. {{As of|2014|May}}, there are four million followers of the Twitter account (@Pontifex).<ref>{{cite news|title=The reason why the Pope has a Twitter and not a Facebook account|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/the-reason-why-the-pope-has-a-twitter-and-not-a-facebook-account-9426746.html|access-date=April 11, 2016|newspaper=The Independent|date=May 23, 2014|first=Linda|last=Sharkey}}</ref>

===Censorship and moderation===
{{Main|Censorship of Twitter|Deplatforming|Twitter suspensions|December 2022 Twitter suspensions}}
[[File:Twitter_censorship_new.svg|thumb|290x290px|Countries and territories which have blocked Twitter:{{ubl|{{legend|#377eb8|Currently blocked}}|{{legend|#41b6c4|Formerly blocked}}|{{legend|#986ba1|Partially blocked}}|{{legend|#c0c0c0|Not blocked}}}}]]
Twitter is banned completely in Russia,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-blocks-facebook-twitter/ |title=Russia blocks Facebook and Twitter access |publisher=CBS News |last=Sganga |first=Nicole |date=March 4, 2022 |access-date=March 14, 2022}}</ref> Iran, China and North Korea<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/erasmus/2015/05/religion-twitter-and-freedom |title=Religion, Twitter and freedom: A peaceful explosion |newspaper=The Economist |date=May 27, 2015 |access-date=June 2, 2015}}</ref> and has been intermittently blocked in numerous countries, including Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Turkey, Venezuela and Turkmenistan on different basis.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/30/brazil-suspends-x-musk-moraes/ |title=Brazilian judge orders suspension of X in dispute with Elon Musk |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |last1=McCoy|first1=Therrence | last2=Thadani|first2=Trisha| last3=Dias|first3=Marina| date=August 30, 2024 |access-date=August 31, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/jun/02/twitter-china|title=China blocks Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and Hotmail ahead of Tiananmen anniversary|last=Branigan |first=Tania|work=The Guardian|location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/iraq-crisis-twitter-google-youtube-facebook-blocked-by-government-stop-isis-plotting-1452567|title=Iraq Crisis: Twitter, Google, YouTube and Facebook Blocked by Government to Stop Isis Plotting|work=International Business Times UK|date=June 13, 2014}}</ref><ref name="guardian-4jun2021">{{cite news |title=Nigeria suspends Twitter after president's tweet was deleted |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/04/nigeria-suspends-twitter-after-presidents-tweet-was-deleted |access-date=June 4, 2021 |work=[[The Guardian]] |agency=Reuters |date=June 4, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://blog.twitter.com/2014/challenging-the-access-ban-in-turkey|title=Challenging the access ban in Turkey|via=Twitter}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-02-14/twitter-says-venezuela-blocks-its-images-amid-protest-crackdown|title=Venezuelans Blocked on Twitter as Opposition Protests Mount|first=Patricia|last=Laya|work=Bloomberg.com|date=February 15, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-16094646|title=Turkmenistan country profile|work=BBC Monitoring|date=February 26, 2018}}</ref> In 2016, Twitter cooperated with the Israeli government to remove certain content originating outside Israel from tweets seen in Israel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://972mag.com/how-israel-is-trying-to-enforce-gag-orders-beyond-its-borders/121266/|title=How Israel is trying to enforce gag orders beyond its borders|author= Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man|publisher=972 Mag|date=August 9, 2016|access-date=September 23, 2016}}</ref> In the 11th biannual transparency report published on September 19, 2017, Twitter said that Turkey was the first among countries where about 90% of removal requests came from, followed by Russia, France and Germany.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-top-country-seeking-removal-of-content-on-twitter-report.aspx?pageID=238&nID=118172&NewsCatID=339|title=Turkey top country seeking removal of content on Twitter: Report|work=Hürriyet Daily News|date=September 20, 2017|access-date=September 20, 2017}}</ref> Twitter stated that between July 1 and December 31, 2018, "We received legal demands relating to 27,283 accounts from 47 different countries, including Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, and Slovenia for the first time."<ref>{{cite news |title=Turkey had highest request for content removal on Twitter |url=https://ipa.news/2019/05/11/turkey-had-highest-request-for-content-removal-on-twitter/ |work=IPA News |date=May 11, 2019 |access-date=September 14, 2019 |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308190729/https://ipa.news/2019/05/11/turkey-had-highest-request-for-content-removal-on-twitter/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> As part of evidence to a U.S. Senate Enquiry, the company admitted that their systems "detected and hid" several hundred thousand tweets relating to the [[2016 Democratic National Committee email leak]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4164788/Twitter-testimony-to-Senate-Judiciary-Committee.pdf|title=United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism: Testimony of Sean J. Edgett, Acting General Counsel, Twitter Inc.|date=October 31, 2017|access-date=November 6, 2017}}</ref> During the curfew in [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]] after [[Indian revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status|revocation of its autonomous status]] on August 5, 2019, the Indian government approached Twitter to block accounts accused of spreading anti-India content;<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/govt-tells-twitter-to-block-accounts-inciting-anti-india-content-using-kashmir/story-V10neIY9VmgfI8rLB67Y4N.html |title= Govt tells Twitter to block accounts inciting anti-India content using Kashmir |work= Hindustan Times |date= August 12, 2019}}</ref> by October 25, nearly one million tweets had been removed as a result.<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 25, 2019|title=Twitter removes almost 1 million tweets in Kashmir, accused of bowing to Indian censorship|url=https://www.newsweek.com/twitter-removes-almost-1m-tweets-kashmir-accused-bowing-indian-censorship-1467721|access-date=November 5, 2020|website=Newsweek}}</ref>

In March 2022, shortly after [[Censorship of Twitter#Russia 2|Russia's censorship of Twitter]], a Tor [[.onion|onion]] service link was created by the platform to allow people to access the website, even in countries with heavy Internet censorship.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Twitter Launches Tor Onion Service Making Site Easier to Access in Russia |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7dqxd/twitter-tor-onion-service-dark-web-version |access-date=May 26, 2022 |website=Vice (magazine)|date=March 8, 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Adi |date=March 8, 2022 |title=Twitter is launching a Tor service for more secure and private tweeting |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/8/22967843/twitter-tor-onion-service-version-launch |access-date=May 26, 2022 |website=The Verge}}</ref>

====Moderation of tweets====
Twitter removed more than 88,000 propaganda accounts linked to Saudi Arabia.<ref>{{cite news |title=Twitter just suspended over 88,000 accounts tied to a Saudi disinformation campaign |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-removed-accounts-saudi-arabia-disinformation-campaign-2019-12 |work=Business Insider |date=December 20, 2019}}</ref> Twitter removed tweets from accounts associated with the Russian [[Internet Research Agency]] that had tried to influence public opinion during and after the 2016 US election.<ref name="Ingram-2021" /><ref name="Luk" /> In June 2020, Twitter also removed 175,000 propaganda accounts that were spreading biased political narratives for the [[Chinese Communist Party]], the [[United Russia|United Russia Party]], or Turkey's President [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan|Erdogan]], identified based on centralized behavior.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Winder|first=Davey|title=Twitter's Powerful Move Silences 175,000 Chinese And Russian Fake News Accounts|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2020/06/12/twitters-powerful-move-silences-175000-chinese-and-russian-fake-news-accounts-hong-kong-politics-social-media-disinformation/|access-date=January 31, 2021|website=Forbes}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Disclosing networks of state-linked information operations we've removed|url=https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/company/2020/information-operations-june-2020.html|access-date=January 31, 2021|via=Twitter}}</ref> Twitter also removed accounts linked to the governments of Armenia, Egypt, Cuba, Serbia, Honduras, Indonesia and Iran.<ref>{{cite news |title=Twitter suspends government-run accounts in Cuba |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-49683029 |work=BBC News |date=September 12, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Twitter removes accounts linked to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, other countries |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-twitter-accounts-idUSKBN21K1SK |work=Reuters |date=April 2, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Twitter removes hundreds of accounts it says are linked to Iran, Russia, Armenia |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-twitter-content-idUSKBN2AN1WW |work=Reuters |date=February 23, 2021}}</ref> Twitter suspended Pakistani accounts tied to government officials for posting tweets about the [[Kashmir conflict]] between India and Pakistan.<ref>{{cite news |title=200 accounts suspended over Kashmir reported to Twitter |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1500457 |work=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]] |date=August 20, 2019}}</ref> In February 2021, Twitter removed accounts in India that criticized Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]]'s government for its conduct during [[2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest|Indian farmers' protests in 2020–2021]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Twitter Blocks Accounts in India as Modi Pressures Social Media|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/10/technology/india-twitter.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/10/technology/india-twitter.html |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |url-access=limited |work=The New York Times |date=February 10, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

At the start of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, numerous tweets reported false medical information related to the pandemic. Twitter announced a new policy in which they would label tweets containing misinformation going forward.<ref name="Roth-2020" /> In April 2020, Twitter removed accounts which defended President [[Rodrigo Duterte]]'s response to the spread of COVID-19 in the Philippines.<ref>{{cite news |title=Twitter suspends accounts defending Duterte's COVID-19 response – report |url=https://technology.inquirer.net/98139/twitter-suspends-accounts-defending-dutertes-covid-19-response-report |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=April 10, 2020}}</ref>

In November 2020, then Chief Technology Officer and future CEO of Twitter [[Parag Agrawal]], when asked by [[MIT Technology Review]] about balancing the protection of [[Freedom of speech|free speech]] as a core value and the endeavour to combat misinformation, said: "Our role is not to be bound by the [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]], but our role is to serve a healthy public conversation ... focus less on thinking about free speech, but thinking about how the times have changed."<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/11/18/1012066/emtech-stage-twitters-cto-on-misinformation/ |title= EmTech Stage: Twitter's CTO on misinformation |website=technologyreview.com |date=November 18, 2020 |access-date=November 30, 2021}}</ref>

Musk had been critical of Twitter's moderation of misinformation prior to his acquisition of the company.<ref>{{cite web | url =  https://time.com/6171272/elon-musk-twitter-disinformation/ | title = 'We're Back.' Far-Right Groups Celebrate Elon Musk's Twitter Takeover | first = Vera | last = Bergengruen | date = April 27, 2022 | access-date = May 27, 2023 | work = [[Time (magzine)|Time]] }}</ref> After the transition, Musk eliminated the misinformation moderation team,<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/misinformation/twitter-fires-employees-fight-misinformation-midterm-elections-rcna55750 | title = Days before the midterms, Twitter lays off employees who fight misinformation | first1 = Ben | last1 = Collins | first2 = Brandy | last2 = Zadrozny | first3 = David | last3 = Ingram | date = November 4, 2023 | access-date = May 27, 2023 | publisher = [[NBC News]] }}</ref> and stopped enforcing its policy on labeling tweets with misleading information about coronavirus.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-63796832 | title=Twitter ends Covid misinformation policy under Musk | date=November 30, 2022 | work =BBC News |access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> While Twitter had joined a voluntary program under the European Union's to fight disinformation in June 2022, Musk pulled the company out of the program in May 2023.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65733969 | title = Twitter pulls out of voluntary EU disinformation code | first = Francesca | last =  Gillett | date = May 27, 2023 | access-date = May 27, 2023 | work = [[BBC News]] }}</ref>

=== Community Notes ===
{{See also|Community Notes}}
[[File:Community Notes logo.png|thumb|The logo of Community Notes]]
In August 2020, development of Birdwatch was announced, initially described as a moderation tool. Twitter first launched the Birdwatch program in January 2021, intended as a way to debunk misinformation and propaganda, with a [[pilot program]] of 1,000 contributors,<ref name="Hollister-2020">{{Cite web |last=Hollister |first=Sean |date=2020-10-04 |title=Twitter's 'Birdwatch' looks like a new attempt to root out propaganda and misinformation |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/4/21500687/twitter-birdwatch-misinfo-tool-propaganda |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119051019/https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/4/21500687/twitter-birdwatch-misinfo-tool-propaganda |archive-date=November 19, 2023 |access-date=2023-11-19 |website=The Verge |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Lyons-2021">{{cite web |last=Lyons |first=Kim |date=January 25, 2021 |title=Twitter launches Birdwatch, a fact-checking program intended to fight misinformation |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/25/22248903/twitter-birdwatch-fact-checking-misinformation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324160905/https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/25/22248903/twitter-birdwatch-fact-checking-misinformation |archive-date=March 24, 2021 |access-date=January 25, 2021 |work=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> weeks after the [[January 6 United States Capitol attack]].<ref name="Elliott-2023">{{Cite magazine |last=Elliott |first=Vittoria |date=October 17, 2023 |title=Elon Musk's Main Tool for Fighting Disinformation on X Is Making the Problem Worse, Insiders Claim |url=https://www.wired.com/story/x-community-notes-disinformation/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231017224528/https://www.wired.com/story/x-community-notes-disinformation/ |archive-date=October 17, 2023 |access-date=2023-11-17 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}</ref> The aim was to "build Birdwatch in the open, and have it shaped by the Twitter community." In November 2021, Twitter updated the Birdwatch moderation tool to limit the visibility of contributors' identities by creating aliases for their accounts, in an attempt to limit bias towards the author of notes.<ref name="Lyons-2021" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lyons |first=Kim |date=November 22, 2021 |title=Twitter introduces aliases for contributors to its Birdwatch moderation program |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/22/22796918/twitter-moderation-birdwatch-aliases-contributors-misinformation |access-date=November 22, 2021 |website=The Verge |archive-date=November 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211122212018/https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/22/22796918/twitter-moderation-birdwatch-aliases-contributors-misinformation |url-status=live }}</ref>

Twitter then expanded access to notes made by the Birdwatch contributors in March 2022, giving a randomized set of US users the ability to view notes attached to tweets and rate them,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Sarah |date=March 3, 2022 |title=Twitter to show 'Birdwatch' community fact-checks to more users, following criticism |url=https://techcrunch.com/2022/03/03/twitter-to-show-birdwatch-community-fact-checks-to-more-users-following-criticism/ |access-date=March 3, 2022 |website=Tech Crunch |archive-date=March 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303144716/https://techcrunch.com/2022/03/03/twitter-to-show-birdwatch-community-fact-checks-to-more-users-following-criticism/ |url-status=live }}</ref> with a pilot of 10,000 contributors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sato |first=Mia |date=2022-03-03 |title=Twitter will start showing crowd-sourced fact checks to some users |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/3/22959888/twitter-birdwatch-crowdsourcing-fact-checking |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=The Verge |language=en}}</ref> On average, contributors were noting 43 times a day in 2022 prior to the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]]. This then increased to 156 on the day of the invasion, estimated to be a very small portion of the misleading posts on the platform. By March 1, only 359 of 10,000 contributors had proposed notes in 2022, while a Twitter spokeswoman described plans to scale up the program, with the focus on "ensuring that Birdwatch is something people find helpful and can help inform understanding".<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Oremus |first1=Will |last2=Merrill |first2=Jeremy B. |date=March 2, 2022 |title=As Ukraine misinformation rages, Twitter's fact-checking tool is a no-show |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/01/twitter-birdwatch-ukraine-fact-checking-misinfo/ |access-date=March 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604063853/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/01/twitter-birdwatch-ukraine-fact-checking-misinfo/ |archive-date=June 4, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Godel |first1=William |last2=Sanderson |first2=Zeve |last3=Aslett |first3=Kevin |last4=Nagler |first4=Jonathan |last5=Bonneau |first5=Richard |last6=Persily |first6=Nathaniel |last7=Tucker |first7=Joshua A. |date=2021-10-28 |title=Moderating with the Mob: Evaluating the Efficacy of Real-Time Crowdsourced Fact-Checking |url=https://www.tsjournal.org/index.php/jots/article/view/15/6 |journal=[[Journal of Online Trust and Safety]] |language=en |volume=1 |issue=1 |doi=10.54501/jots.v1i1.15 |issn=2770-3142 |doi-access=free |access-date=November 25, 2023 |archive-date=November 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231124151440/https://www.tsjournal.org/index.php/jots/article/view/15/6 |url-status=live }}</ref>

By September 2022, the program had expanded to 15,000 users.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Makena |date=2022-09-07 |title=Twitter is expanding its experimental community moderation system |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/9/7/23341003/twitter-birdwatch-community-moderation-notes-misinformation-tweets-qanon |access-date=2023-11-19 |website=The Verge |language=en |archive-date=November 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119051023/https://www.theverge.com/2022/9/7/23341003/twitter-birdwatch-community-moderation-notes-misinformation-tweets-qanon |url-status=live }}</ref> In October 2022, the most commonly published notes were related to [[COVID-19 misinformation]] based on historical usage.<ref name="Faife-2022">{{Cite web |last=Faife |first=Corin |date=2022-10-10 |title=COVID misinfo is the biggest challenge for Twitter's Birdwatch program, data shows |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/10/23393021/twitter-birdwatch-covid-misinformation-data-analysis-misinformation-fact-check |access-date=2023-11-19 |website=The Verge |language=en |archive-date=November 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119051020/https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/10/23393021/twitter-birdwatch-covid-misinformation-data-analysis-misinformation-fact-check |url-status=live }}</ref> In November 2022, at the request of [[Twitter under Elon Musk|new owner Elon Musk]], Birdwatch was rebranded to [[Community Notes]], taking an [[Open source|open-source]] approach to deal with misinformation,<ref name="Sankaran-2022">{{Cite web |last=Sankaran |first=Vishwam |date=2022-12-12 |title=Twitter's new Community Notes feature lets people add context to tweets |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/twitter-community-notes-tweet-context-b2243311.html |access-date=2023-11-18 |website=The Independent |language=en |archive-date=November 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231118135420/https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/twitter-community-notes-tweet-context-b2243311.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and expanded to Europe and countries outside of the US.<ref name="Biron-2022">{{Cite web |last=Biron |first=Bethany |title=Elon Musk said Twitter's Birdwatch feature will be renamed 'Community Notes' and is aimed at 'improving information accuracy' amid growing content-moderation concerns |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/musk-renames-birdwatch-community-notes-touts-improving-accuracy-2022-11 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115023929/https://www.businessinsider.com/musk-renames-birdwatch-community-notes-touts-improving-accuracy-2022-11 |archive-date=November 15, 2022 |access-date=November 15, 2022 |website=Business Insider}}</ref><ref name="Baldacchino-2023">{{Cite web |last=Baldacchino |first=Julien |date=August 10, 2023 |title=Avec les 'notes de communauté', Twitter (X) marche sur les pas... de Wikipédia |url=https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/avec-les-notes-de-communaute-twitter-x-marche-sur-les-pas-de-wikipedia-8574656 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230902034750/https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/avec-les-notes-de-communaute-twitter-x-marche-sur-les-pas-de-wikipedia-8574656 |archive-date=2023-09-02 |access-date=October 21, 2023 |website=France Inter |language=fr}}</ref><ref name="Leloup-2023">{{Cite news |last=Leloup |first=Damien |date=July 3, 2023 |title=I spent one week as an 'arbiter of truth' on Twitter's 'Community Notes' service |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/pixels/article/2023/07/03/i-spent-one-week-as-an-arbiter-of-truth-on-twitter-s-community-notes-service_6042188_13.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231022014427/https://www.lemonde.fr/en/pixels/article/2023/07/03/i-spent-one-week-as-an-arbiter-of-truth-on-twitter-s-community-notes-service_6042188_13.html |archive-date=October 22, 2023 |access-date=October 21, 2023 |work=Le Monde |language=en}}</ref>

=== Court cases, lawsuits, and adjudication ===
''[[Twitter, Inc. v. Taamneh|Twitter Inc. v. Taamneh]]'', alongside ''[[Gonzalez v. Google LLC|Gonzalez v. Google]]'', were heard by the [[United States Supreme Court]] during its 2022–2023 term. Both cases dealt with Internet content providers and whether they are liable for terrorism-related information posted by their users. In the case of ''Twitter v. Taamneh'', the case asked if Twitter and other social media services are liable for [[User-generated content|user-generated]] terrorism content under the [[Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996]] and are beyond their [[Section 230]] protections. The court ruled in May 2023 that the charges brought against Twitter and other companies were not permissible under the Antiterrorism Act, and did not address the Section 230 question. This decision also supported the Court's [[Per curiam|''per curiam'' decision]] in ''Gonzalez'' returning that case to the lower court for review in light of the ''Twitter'' decision.<ref name="nbcnews decision">{{cite news |last=Hurley |first=Lawrence |date=May 18, 2023 |title=Supreme Court sidesteps ruling on scope of internet companies' immunity from lawsuits over user content |publisher=[[NBC News]] |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-sidesteps-ruling-scope-internet-company-immunity-lawsuit-rcna79598 |access-date=May 18, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Masnick |first=Mike |date=May 18, 2023 |title=Supreme Court Leaves 230 Alone For Now, But Justice Thomas Gives A Pretty Good Explanation For Why It Exists In The First Place |url=https://www.techdirt.com/2023/05/18/supreme-court-leaves-230-alone-for-now-but-justice-thomas-gives-a-pretty-good-explanation-for-why-it-exists-in-the-first-place/ |access-date=August 4, 2023 |website=[[Techdirt]]}}</ref>

In 2016, Twitter shareholder Doris Shenwick filed a lawsuit against Twitter, Inc., claiming executives misled investors over the company's growth prospects.<ref name="Time">{{Cite magazine |title=Twitter Agrees to Pay $809.5 Million Settlement in Shareholder Growth Lawsuit |url=https://time.com/6099976/twitter-class-action-lawsuit/ |magazine=Time |access-date=November 6, 2022}}</ref> In 2021, Twitter agreed to pay $809.5 million to settle.<ref name="Time" />

In May 2022, Twitter agreed to pay $150 million to settle a lawsuit started by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission. The lawsuit concerned Twitter's use of email addresses and phone numbers of Twitter users to [[Targeted advertising|target advertisements]] at them. The company also agreed to third-party audits of its [[Information privacy|data privacy]] program.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Robertson |first1=Adi |date=May 25, 2022 |title=Twitter will pay $150 million for using people's security phone numbers to target ads |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/25/23141968/ftc-doj-twitter-settlement-phone-number-security-ad-targeting |access-date=May 26, 2022 |website=The Verge}}</ref>

On November 3, 2022, on the eve of expected layoffs, a group of Twitter employees based in San Francisco and Cambridge filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco. Naming five current or former workers as plaintiffs, the suit accused the company of violating federal and state laws that govern notice of employment termination.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 4, 2022 |title=Twitter sued over short-notice layoffs as Elon Musk's takeover rocks company |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/twitter-sued-layoffs-days-elon-musk-purchase-rcna55619 |access-date=November 6, 2022 |publisher=NBC News}}</ref> The federal law in question is the [[Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988|Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act]], and the state law in question is California's state WARN Act.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 4, 2022 |title=Twitter sued by workers over impending layoffs they say are illegal |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/twitter-layoffs-illegal-lawsuit-122037157.html |access-date=November 6, 2022 |publisher=Yahoo! Finance}}</ref>

On November 20, 2023, Twitter filed a lawsuit against [[Media Matters for America|Media Matters]], a media watchdog group. The lawsuit alleges defamation by Media Matters following its publication of a report claiming that advertisements for major brands were displayed alongside posts promoting [[Adolf Hitler]] and the [[Nazi Party]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 21, 2023 |title=Elon Musk's X sues Media Matters over antisemitism analysis |language=en-GB |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67482231 |access-date=November 21, 2023}}</ref>

On August 6, 2024, X filed an [[Competition law|antitrust]] lawsuit in the [[United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas|Northern District of Texas]] against the [[World Federation of Advertisers]], [[Unilever]], [[Mars Inc.|Mars]], [[CVS Health|CVS]] and [[Ørsted (company)|Ørsted]], alleging that the advertisers had conspired via their participation in the Global Alliance for Responsible Media to withhold "billions of dollars in advertising revenue" from the platform.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Scarcella |first=Mike |date=August 6, 2024 |title=Musk's X accuses advertisers of boycotting platform in new lawsuit |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/musks-x-accuses-advertisers-illegal-boycott-new-lawsuit-2024-08-06/ |access-date=August 6, 2024 |work=Reuters}}</ref> The World Federation Of Advertisers created the Global Alliance for Responsible Media in 2019 to address "illegal or harmful content on digital media platforms and its monetization via advertising."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-24 |title=About GARM – World Federation of Advertisers |url=https://wfanet.org/leadership/garm/about-garm |access-date=2024-08-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240424142830/https://wfanet.org/leadership/garm/about-garm |archive-date=April 24, 2024 }}</ref>

On August 13, 2024, the [[Workplace Relations Commission]] ordered Twitter to pay €550,000 to former senior staffer Gary Rooney in an unfair dismissal case. Twitter had argued that Rooney's failure to check "yes" at the bottom of an email from Elon Musk constituted resignation.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mc Cárthaigh |first=Seán |date=August 13, 2024 |title=Twitter ordered to pay record €550,000 to senior executive in Ireland |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/work/2024/08/13/twitter-ordered-to-pay-550000-to-executive-who-failed-to-respond-to-elon-musk-e-mail/ |access-date=2024-08-13 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Fletcher |first=Olivia |date=2024-08-13 |title=Musk's X Ordered to Pay Compensation to Dismissed Irish Employee |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-08-13/musk-s-x-ordered-to-pay-compensation-to-dismissed-irish-employee |access-date=2024-08-13 |work=Bloomberg.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Statistics==
=== User accounts with large follower base ===
{{Main|List of most-followed Twitter accounts}}
{{as of|2024|11|8}}, the ten X accounts with the most followers were:

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+Top ten most-followed X accounts
!scope="col"| Rank
!scope="col" class="unsortable" | Change {{efn|Raw number of followers compared to June 12, 2023}}
!scope="col"| Account name
!scope="col"| Owner
!scope="col"| Followers <br /> (millions)
!scope="col"| Activity
!scope="col"| Country
|-
! align="center" | 1
| align=center | {{up}}
|scope="row"| @elonmusk
| [[Elon Musk]]
| align=center | 203.8{{efn|In 2022, it was estimated that just under half of Musk's followers were spam, bot, propaganda, or inactive accounts.<ref name="FakeFollwers">{{cite magazine |last1=McCluskey |first1=Megan |title=Elon Musk Wants to Rid Twitter of 'Spam Bots.' Nearly Half His Followers Are Fake |url=https://time.com/6171726/elon-musk-fake-followers/ |magazine=Time |access-date=11 October 2024 |language=en |date=28 April 2022}}</ref>}}
| [[Business magnate]] and Chairman
|{{Flag2|RSA}}<br />{{Flag|CAN}}<br />{{Flag|USA}}
|-
! align="center" | 2
| align=center | {{Same}}
|scope="row"| @BarackObama
| [[Barack Obama]]
| align=center | 131.6
| data-sort-value="President, former" | 44th [[President of the United States|U.S. president]]
|{{Flag|USA}}
|-
! align="center" | 3
| align=center | {{up}}
|scope="row"| @Cristiano
|[[Cristiano Ronaldo]]
| align="center" | 113.6
|[[Association football|Footballer]]
|{{Flag|POR}}
|-
! align="center" | 4
| align=center | {{Same}}
|scope="row"| @justinbieber
| [[Justin Bieber]]
| align=center | 109.8
| [[Musician]]
|{{Flag|CAN}}
|-
! align="center" | 5
| align=center | {{Same}}
|scope="row"| @rihanna
| [[Rihanna]]
| align=center | 108.3
| [[Musician]] and [[Businessperson|businesswoman]]
|{{Flag|BRB}}
|-
! align="center" | 6
| align=center | {{down}}
|scope="row"| @katyperry
| [[Katy Perry]]
| align=center | 105.7
| [[Musician]]
|{{Flag|USA}}
|-
! align="center" | 7
| align="center" | {{up}}
| scope="row" | @narendramodi
| [[Narendra Modi]]
| align="center" | 103.5
| [[Prime Minister of India]]
|{{Flag|IND}}
|-
! align="center" | 8
| align="center" | {{Same}}
| scope="row" | @taylorswift13
| [[Taylor Swift]]
| align="center" | 94.8
| [[Musician]]
|{{Flag|USA}}
|-
! align="center" | 9
| align=center | {{up}}
|scope="row"| @realDonaldTrump
| [[Donald Trump]]
| align=center | 93.6
| data-sort-value="President, former" | 45th [[President of the United States|U.S. president]]
|{{Flag|USA}}
|-
! align="center" | 10
| align=center | {{up}}
|scope="row"| @ArianaGrande
| [[Ariana Grande]]
| align="center" | 85.3
| [[Musician]] and [[Actor|actress]]
|{{Flag|USA}}
|}

===Record tweets===
{{Main|List of most-retweeted tweets|List of most-liked tweets}}

A [[selfie]] orchestrated by [[86th Academy Awards]] host [[Ellen DeGeneres]] during the March 2, 2014, broadcast was, at the time, the most retweeted image ever.<ref name="ellen_2014">{{cite news|title=Selfie at Oscars breaks retweet record|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-26410106|work=[[BBC News]]|date=March 3, 2014|access-date=March 3, 2014}}</ref> The photo of twelve celebrities broke the previous retweet record within forty minutes and was retweeted over 1.8 million times in the first hour.<ref name="bbcrt">{{cite news|work=BBC Trending |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-26410106 |title=#BBCtrending: Selfie at Oscars breaks retweet record |publisher=BBC |date=March 3, 2014 |access-date=July 28, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=March 3, 2014 |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.theledger.com/article/20140303/ENT/140309799/1326?Title=Ellen-DeGeneres-Selfie-at-Oscars-Sets-Retweet-Record-Crashes-Twitter |title=Ellen DeGeneres' Selfie at Oscars Sets Retweet Record, Crashes Twitter |newspaper=The Ledger |access-date=March 3, 2014 |archive-date=March 3, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140303110006/http://www.theledger.com/article/20140303/ENT/140309799/1326?Title=Ellen-DeGeneres-Selfie-at-Oscars-Sets-Retweet-Record-Crashes-Twitter |url-status=dead }}<!-- Pictured: [[Jared Leto]], [[Jennifer Lawrence]], [[Meryl Streep]], [[Ellen DeGeneres]], [[Bradley Cooper]], [[Peter Nyong'o Jr.]], and, second row, from left, [[Channing Tatum]], [[Julia Roberts]], [[Kevin Spacey]], [[Brad Pitt]], [[Lupita Nyong'o]] and [[Angelina Jolie]].--></ref><ref name="latos">{{cite news |last=Hubbard |first=Amy |date=March 2, 2014 |title=Oscars 2014, the year of the selfie: Ellen tweet grabs retweet record |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://latimes.com/nation/shareitnow/la-sh-most-retweeted-twitter-ellen-oscar-selfie-0140302,0,6042820.story |access-date=October 7, 2014}}</ref> On May 9, 2017, Ellen's record was broken by Carter Wilkerson (@carterjwm) by collecting nearly 3.5 million retweets in a little over a month.<ref>{{cite tweet|number=862098695357046784|user=Twitter|title=@carterjwm 👆 It's official. Carter, your Tweet is the most Retweeted of all time. #NuggsForCarter |access-date=May 9, 2017|date=May 10, 2017}}</ref> This record was broken when [[Yusaku Maezawa]] announced a giveaway on Twitter in January 2019, accumulating 4.4 million retweets. A similar tweet he made in December 2019 was retweeted 3.8 million times.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.brandwatch.com/blog/most-retweeted-tweets/|title=The 20 Most-Retweeted Tweets|date=July 30, 2020|access-date=November 15, 2022}}</ref>

The most tweeted moment in the history of Twitter occurred on August 2, 2013; during a Japanese television airing of the [[Studio Ghibli]] film ''[[Castle in the Sky]]'', fans simultaneously tweeted the word {{Nihongo|''balse''|バルス}}—the incantation for a destruction spell used during its climax, after it was uttered in the film. There was a global peak of 143,199 tweets in one second, beating the previous record of 33,388.<ref>{{cite web|last=Oremus |first=Will |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/08/19/balse_festival_japan_castle_in_the_sky_airing_breaks_twitter_record_for.html |title=Balse Festival: Japan "Castle in the Sky" airing breaks Twitter record for tweets per second |magazine=Slate |date=August 19, 2013 |access-date=June 26, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://kotaku.com/5868320/how-an-old-japanese-anime-broke-twitter-records/|title=How an Old Japanese Anime Broke a Twitter Record |last=Ashcraft |first=Brian |work=Kotaku|access-date=August 31, 2018}}</ref>

The most discussed event in Twitter history occurred on October 24, 2015; the hashtag ("#ALDubEBTamangPanahon") for ''[[Tamang Panahon]]'', a live special episode of the Filipino variety show ''[[Eat Bulaga!]]'' at the [[Philippine Arena]], centering on its popular on-air couple [[AlDub]], attracted 41 million tweets.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://twitter.com/TwitterData/status/658724283011735552 |title=Fans in the Philippines & around the world sent 41M Tweets mentioning #ALDubEBTamangPanahon |date=October 27, 2015 |access-date=October 30, 2015 |work=Twitter Data Verified Account}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=August 2024}}<ref>{{cite news |last=Mendoza |first=Arvin |url=http://entertainment.inquirer.net/181811/aldub-breaks-fifa-world-cups-twitter-record |title='AlDub' breaks FIFA World Cup's Twitter record |date=October 25, 2015 |access-date=October 25, 2015 |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer}}</ref> The most-discussed sporting event in Twitter history was the [[Brazil v Germany (2014 FIFA World Cup)|2014 FIFA World Cup semi-final]] between Brazil and Germany on July 8, 2014.<ref>{{cite news |last=Tomchak |first=Anne-Marie |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-28226010 |title=#BBCtrending: Brazil's World Cup thrashing breaks Twitter records |date=July 9, 2014 |access-date=July 9, 2014 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>

According to ''[[Guinness World Records]]'', the fastest pace to a million followers was set by actor [[Robert Downey Jr.]] in 23 hours and 22 minutes in April 2014.<ref>{{cite news |date=April 12, 2014 |title=Fastest time to reach one million followers on Twitter |work=[[Guinness World Records]] |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/fastest-time-to-reach-1-million-followers-on-twitter |access-date=May 19, 2015}}</ref> This record was later broken by [[Caitlyn Jenner]], who joined the site on June 1, 2015, and amassed a million followers in just 4 hours and 3 minutes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Parkinson |first=Hannah Jane |date=June 2, 2015 |title=Caitlyn Jenner smashes Twitter world record, reaching a million followers |url=http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/02/caitlyn-jenner-twitter-record-million-followers-vanity-fair |access-date=May 20, 2022 |website=The Guardian}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Ambient awareness]]
* [[Comparison of microblogging and similar services]]
* [[Timeline of social media]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist|30em}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="Twitter_500">{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/07/30/analyst-twitter-passed-500m-users-in-june-2012-140m-of-them-in-us-jakarta-biggest-tweeting-city/|title=Twitter Passed 500M Users In June 2012, 140M Of Them In US; Jakarta 'Biggest Tweeting' City|work=[[TechCrunch]]|date=July 30, 2012}}</ref>
}}

== Further reading ==
* {{Cite book |last1=Conger |first1=Kate |author1-link=Kate Conger |last2=Mac |first2=Ryan |author2-link=Ryan Mac |year=2024 |title=Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter |title-link=Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter |edition=1st hardcover |location=New York |publisher=Penguin Press |isbn=978-0593656136 |oclc=1432234243}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Fitton |first1=Laura |last2=Gruen |first2=Michael E. |last3=Poston |first3=Leslie |year=2009 |title=Twitter For Dummies |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/twitterfordummie00fitt |others=Foreword: Jack Dorsey |location=Hoboken, NJ |publisher=Wiley Publishing |isbn=9780470479919 |oclc=286485306}}
* {{Cite book |last=Tufekci |first=Zeynep |year=2017 |title=Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest |url=https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300215120/twitter-and-tear-gas |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530054535/https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300215120/twitter-and-tear-gas |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-05-30 |url-access=registration |edition=1st hardcover |location=New Haven, Conn. |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0300215120 |oclc=961312425}}

==External links==
{{Scholia|topic}}
* [https://x.com/ Official website]

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