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{{Short description|American social networking service}}
{{About|the social networking service|the company which owns and operates it|Twitter, Inc.}}
{{Redirect2|Tweeting|Tweeted|the animal behavior|Bird vocalization}}
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{{Use American English|date=June 2015}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox website
| name = Twitter
| logo = Twitter-logo.svg
| logo_size = 150px
| screenshot = Twitter Home Page (Moments version, countries without dedicated feed).png
| caption = The default page shown to logged-out users
| collapsible = no
| company_type = <!-- Go to Twitter Inc for the main page -->
| website_type = [[Social networking service]]
| native_clients = {{hlist|[[iOS]]|[[iPadOS]]|[[Android (operating system)|Android]]|[[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]|[[macOS]]}}
| language = Multilingual
| foundation = {{Start date and age|2006|03|21}} in [[San Francisco, California]]
| location = 
| 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]]}}
| owner = [[Twitter, Inc.]]<!-- DO NOT ADD ELON MUSK HERE -->
| parent = 
| CEO = [[Elon Musk]]
| industry = 
| url = {{Official URL}}
| registration = Required
| num_users = 238&nbsp;million monetizable [[daily active users|DAU]] (Q2 2022)
| launch_date = {{Start date and age|2006|07|15}}
| current_status = Active
| programming_language = {{hlist|[[Java (programming language)|Java]]|[[Ruby (programming language)|Ruby]]|[[Scala (programming language)|Scala]]|[[JavaScript]]}}
| footnotes = <ref name=Dorsey2006/><ref name=10K>{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1418091/000141809122000029/twtr-20211231.htm|title=US SEC: FY2021 Form 10-K Twitter, Inc.|publisher=[[U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission]]|access-date=March 27, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://about.twitter.com/en_us/company.html|title=Twitter – Company|website=about.twitter.com|access-date=July 30, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Twitter coding"/><ref name="infoq-jvm">{{cite web|first=Charles|last=Humble|title=Twitter Shifting More Code to JVM, Citing Performance and Encapsulation As Primary Drivers|date=July 4, 2011|work=InfoQ |access-date=January 15, 2013|url=http://www.infoq.com/articles/twitter-java-use}}</ref><ref name=launch/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/exclusive-where-did-tweeters-go-twitter-is-losing-its-most-active-users-internal-2022-10-25/ |title=Exclusive: Twitter is losing its most active users, internal documents show |date=October 26, 2022 |last=Dang |first=Sheila |work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>
}}

'''Twitter''' is an online [[social media]] and [[social networking service]] owned and operated by American company [[Twitter, Inc.]], on which users send and respond publicly or privately 280-character-long messages, images and videos known as "tweets".<ref>[https://blog.twitter.com/official/en_us/topics/product/2017/tweetingmadeeasier.html "Tweeting Made Easier"] Retrieved November 7, 2017.</ref> [[Registered user]]s can tweet, like, '[[Reblogging|retweet]]' tweets and [[Instant Messaging|direct message]] (DM), while unregistered users only have the ability to view public tweets. Users interact with Twitter through browser or mobile [[Frontend and backend|frontend]] software, or programmatically via its [[API]]s. 

Twitter was created by [[Jack Dorsey]], [[Noah Glass]], [[Biz Stone]], and [[Evan Williams (Internet entrepreneur)|Evan Williams]] in March 2006 and launched in July of that year. Twitter, Inc. is based in [[San Francisco, California]] and has more than 25 offices around the world.<ref>[https://about.twitter.com/company "About Twitter"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403002854/https://about.twitter.com/company |date=April 3, 2016 }} Retrieved April 24, 2014.</ref> {{As of|2012|alt=By 2012}}, more than 100 million users tweeted 340 million tweets a day,<ref>{{cite web|url= https://blog.twitter.com/2012/twitter-turns-six |title=Twitter turns six |date=March 21, 2012 |publisher=Twitter}}</ref> and the service handled an average of 1.6 billion [[Web search query|search queries]] per day.<ref name="Twitter_500" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://blog.twitter.com/2011/engineering-behind-twitter%E2%80%99s-new-search-experience |title=The Engineering Behind Twitter's New Search Experience |date=May 31, 2011 |access-date=June 7, 2014 |work=Twitter Engineering Blog |publisher=Twitter |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140325080255/https://blog.twitter.com/2011/engineering-behind-twitter%E2%80%99s-new-search-experience |archive-date=March 25, 2014 }}</ref><ref>[http://blog.twitter.com/2012/03/twitter-turns-six.html "Twitter turns six"] Twitter.com, March 21, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2012.</ref> In 2013, it was one of the ten [[List of most popular websites|most-visited websites]] and has been described as "the [[SMS]] of the Internet".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/swine-flu%5Cs-tweet-tweet-causes-online-flutter/356604/ |title=Swine Flu's Tweet Tweet Causes Online Flutter |date=April 29, 2009 |first=Leslie |last=D'Monte |work=[[Business Standard]] |quote=Also known as the 'SMS of the internet', Twitter is a free social networking service |access-date=February 4, 2011}}</ref> {{As of|2019||alt= By the start of 2019}}, Twitter had more than 330 million monthly active users.<ref name="Twitter">{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2017/10/26/twitter-overcounted-active-users-since-2014-shares-surge/801968001/|title=Twitter overcounted active users since 2014, shares surge on profit hopes|newspaper=USA Today}}</ref> In practice, the vast majority of tweets are tweeted by a minority of users.<ref>Carlson, Nicholas. "[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stunning-new-numbers-on-who-uses-twitter/ 10% Of Twitter Users Account For 90% Of Twitter Activity]", [[Business Insider]] (June 2, 2009).</ref><ref>Wojcik, Stefan and Hughes, Adam."[https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/04/24/sizing-up-twitter-users/ Sizing Up Twitter Users]", [[Pew Research Center]] (April 25, 2019).</ref> In 2020, it was estimated that approximately 48 million accounts (15% of all accounts) were fake.<ref name=Rodriguez/>

On October 27, 2022, [[Acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk|business magnate Elon Musk acquired Twitter, Inc.]] for US$44 billion, gaining control of the platform.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Isaac |first1=Mike |last2=Hirsch |first2=Lauren |date=April 25, 2022 |title=Musk's deal for Twitter is worth about $44 billion. |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/04/25/business/elon-musk-twitter/musks-deal-for-twitter-is-worth-about-44-billion?smid=url-copy |access-date=April 26, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Feiner |first=Lauren |date=April 25, 2022 |title=Twitter accepts Elon Musk's buyout deal |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/25/twitter-accepts-elon-musks-buyout-deal.html |access-date=April 25, 2022 |website=CNBC}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kay |first=Kali Hays, Grace |title=Elon Musk is now officially Twitter's new owner, ending months of costly litigation |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-twitter-reach-agreement-to-close-acquisition-deal-2022-10 |access-date=October 28, 2022 |website=Business Insider}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Twitter Purchased by Elon Musk: A Timeline of How It Happened |url=https://www.wsj.com/story/twitter-purchased-by-elon-musk-how-it-went-down-72a07de3 |access-date=November 7, 2022 |website=WSJ}}</ref> 

On December 20, 2022, Musk announced he would step down as CEO once a replacement had been found.<ref name=":13">{{Cite news |date=2022-12-21 |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=2022-12-21}}</ref> 

== History ==
{{main|History of Twitter}}

=== 2006–2007: Creation and initial reaction ===
[[File:Twttr sketch-Dorsey-2006.jpg|thumb|A sketch, {{circa}} 2006, by [[Jack Dorsey]], envisioning an [[SMS]]-based [[social network]]]]

Twitter's origins lie in a "daylong brainstorming session" held by board members of the [[podcast]]ing company [[Odeo]]. [[Jack Dorsey]], then an undergraduate student at [[New York University]], introduced the idea of an individual using an SMS service to communicate with a small group.<ref>{{registration required|date=February 2011}} {{cite news|author=Miller, Claire Cain|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/technology/31ev.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101101065448/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/technology/31ev.html |archive-date=November 1, 2010 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Why Twitter's C.E.O. Demoted Himself|date=October 30, 2010|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=October 31, 2010}}</ref><ref name="origins">{{cite web|title=Co-founder of Twitter receives key to St. Louis with 140 character proclamation|url=http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=185395&catid=3|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121228183342/http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=185395&catid=3|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 28, 2012|date=September 19, 2009|website=[[KSDK]]|access-date=September 29, 2009|quote=After high school in St. Louis and some time at the [[Missouri University of Science and Technology|University of Missouri–Rolla]], Jack headed east to New York University.}}</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|author=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. |access-date=April 26, 2011|date=April 13, 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|title=Buy a vowel? How Twttr became Twitter|url=https://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/technology/1011/gallery.Startup_Domain_Names/ |website=[[CNN Money]] |access-date=June 9, 2015|date=November 23, 2010}}</ref> The developers initially considered "10958" as the service's [[short code]] for [[SMS]] text messaging, but later changed it to "40404" for "ease of use and memorability".<ref name="HowTwitterWasBorn">{{cite web |url=http://www.140characters.com/2009/01/30/how-twitter-was-born/ |title=How Twitter Was Born |work=140 Characters: A Style Guide for the Short Form |date=January 30, 2009 |first=Dom |last=Sagolla |access-date=February 4, 2011}}</ref> Work on the project started on March 21, 2006, when Dorsey published the first Twitter message at 12:50&nbsp;p.m. [[Pacific Standard Time|PST]] ([[UTC−08:00]]): "just setting up my twttr".<ref name="Dorsey2006">{{cite tweet|number=20|user=jack|author=jack|title=just setting up my twttr |access-date=February 4, 2011 |date=March 21, 2006 }}</ref> Dorsey has explained the origin of the "Twitter" title:<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/02/twitter-creator.html |title=Twitter Creator Jack Dorsey Illuminates the Site's Founding Document|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=February 18, 2009|first=David|last=Sano|access-date=June 18, 2009}}</ref>
<blockquote>
...we came across the word "twitter", and it was just perfect. The definition was "a short burst of inconsequential information", and "chirps from birds". And that's exactly what the product was.
</blockquote>

The first Twitter prototype, developed by Dorsey and contractor Florian Weber, was used as an internal service for Odeo employees.<ref>{{cite web |first=Nicholas |last=Carlson |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/how-twitter-was-founded-2011-4?op=1 |title=How Twitter Was Founded |website=[[Business Insider]] |date=April 13, 2011 |access-date=September 4, 2013}}</ref> The full version was introduced publicly on July 15, 2006.<ref name="launch">{{cite web |first=Michael |last=Arrington |url=https://techcrunch.com/2006/07/15/is-twttr-interesting/ |title=Odeo Releases Twttr |work=[[TechCrunch]] |publisher=[[AOL]] |date=July 15, 2006 |access-date=September 18, 2010 |author-link=Michael Arrington}}</ref> In October 2006, [[Biz Stone]], [[Evan Williams (Internet entrepreneur)|Evan Williams]], Dorsey, and other members of Odeo formed Obvious Corporation and acquired Odeo, together with its assets—including Odeo.com and Twitter.com—from the investors and shareholders.<ref>{{Cite news| first=Om | last=Malik | title=Odeo RIP, Hello Obvious Corp | date=October 25, 2006 |url=http://gigaom.com/2006/10/25/odeo-rip-hello-obvious-corp/ |work=[[GigaOM]] |access-date=June 20, 2009}}</ref> Williams fired Glass, who was silent about his part in Twitter's startup until 2011.<ref>{{cite news|author=Madrigal, Alexis|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/|date=April 14, 2011 |work=[[The Atlantic]] |access-date=April 26, 2011}}</ref> Twitter spun off into its own company in April 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thedailyanchor.com/2009/02/12/a-conversation-with-twitter-co-founder-jack-dorsey/ |title=A Conversation with Twitter Co-Founder Jack Dorsey |access-date=February 12, 2009 |last=Lennon |first=Andrew |work=[[The Daily Anchor]] |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 }}</ref> Williams provided insight into the ambiguity that defined this early period in a 2013 interview:<ref name="Inc">{{cite web|title=Ev Williams on Twitter's Early Years|url=http://www.inc.com/issie-lapowsky/ev-williams-twitter-early-years.html?cid=em01011week40day04b |work=[[Inc. (magazine)|Inc.]] |access-date=October 5, 2013|first=Issie|last=Lapowsky|date=October 4, 2013}}</ref>
<blockquote>
With Twitter, it wasn't clear what it was. They called it a social network, they called it microblogging, but it was hard to define, because it didn't replace anything. There was this path of discovery with something like that, where over time you figure out what it is. Twitter actually changed from what we thought it was in the beginning, which we described as status updates and a social utility. It is that, in part, but the insight we eventually came to was Twitter was really more of an information network than it is a social network.
</blockquote>

=== 2007–2010 ===
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 |first=Courtney Boyd |last=Meyers |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/ |website=The Next Web |date=July 15, 2011 |access-date=May 5, 2017}}</ref> "The Twitter people cleverly placed two 60-inch plasma screens in the conference hallways, exclusively streaming Twitter messages," remarked ''[[Newsweek]]''{{'}}s [[Steven Levy]]. "Hundreds of conference-goers kept tabs on each other via constant twitters. Panelists and speakers mentioned the service, and the bloggers in attendance touted it."<ref>{{Cite news|author=Levy, Steven|title=Twitter: Is Brevity The Next Big Thing? |date=April 30, 2007 |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/35289 |work=[[Newsweek]] |access-date=February 4, 2011 |author-link=Steven Levy}}</ref> Reaction at the conference was highly positive.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-9696264-2.html |title=To Twitter or Dodgeball at SXSW? |access-date=February 4, 2011 |first=Daniel |last=Terdiman |author-link=Daniel Terdiman |date=March 10, 2007 |work=[[CNET]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |archive-date=December 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203224143/http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-9696264-2.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Twitter staff received the festival's Web Award prize with the remark "we'd like to thank you in 140 characters or less. And we just did!"<ref>{{cite web |access-date=May 7, 2008 |url=http://blog.twitter.com/2007/03/we-won.html |title=We Won! |work=Twitter Blog |publisher=Twitter |date=February 4, 2011 |first=Biz |last=Stone |author-link=Biz Stone}}</ref>

The company experienced rapid initial growth. It had 400,000 tweets posted per quarter in 2007. This grew to {{Nowrap|100 million}} tweets posted per quarter in 2008. In February 2010, Twitter users were sending {{Nowrap|50 million}} tweets per day.<ref>{{Cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/twitter/7297541/Twitter-users-send-50-million-tweets-per-day.html |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 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] | title=Twitter Users Send 50 Million Tweets Per Day&nbsp;– Almost 600 Tweets Are Sent Every Second Through the Microblogging Site, According to Its Own Metrics | first=Claudine | last=Beaumont | date=February 23, 2010|access-date=February 7, 2011 | location=London}}{{cbignore}}</ref> 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... |work=[[PC World (magazine)|PC World]] |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/164374/jimmy_fallon_wins_top_webby_and_the_winners_are.html |access-date=February 22, 2011}}</ref> On November 29, 2009, Twitter was named the Word of the Year by the [[Global Language Monitor]], declaring it "a new form of social interaction".<ref>{{cite web |date=November 29, 2009 |title=Top Word of 2009: Twitter |url=http://www.languagemonitor.com/top-words/top-word-of-2009-twitter/ |access-date=July 28, 2014 |publisher=Languagemonitor.com}}</ref> By March 2010, the company recorded over 70,000 registered applications.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/digital/2010/03/twitter-registered-created|work=[[New Statesman]]|title=Twitter Registers 1,500 Per Cent Growth in Users|date=March 4, 2010|access-date=February 7, 2011|archive-date=May 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503011352/https://www.newstatesman.com/digital/2010/03/twitter-registered-created|url-status=dead}}</ref> As of June 2010, about {{Nowrap|65 million}} tweets were posted each day, equaling about 750 tweets sent each second, according to Twitter.<ref>{{cite web|author=Garrett, Sean|title=Big Goals, Big Game, Big Records|url=http://blog.twitter.com/2010/06/big-goals-big-game-big-records.html|publisher=Twitter Blog ([[blog]] of Twitter)|access-date=February 7, 2011|date=June 18, 2010}}</ref> As of March 2011, that was about {{Nowrap|140 million}} tweets posted daily.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.twitter.com/2011/03/numbers.html |title=Twitter Blog: #numbers |publisher=Blog.twitter.com |date=March 14, 2011 |access-date=January 20, 2012}}</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|left|[[Jack Dorsey]], co-founder and CEO of Twitter, in 2009]]
Twitter's usage spikes during prominent events. For example, a record was set during the [[2010 FIFA World Cup]] when fans wrote 2,940 tweets per second in the thirty-second period after [[Japan national football team|Japan]] scored against [[Cameroon national football team|Cameroon]] on June 14, 2010. The record was broken again when 3,085 tweets per second were posted after the [[Los Angeles Lakers]]' victory in the [[2010 NBA Finals]] on June 17, 2010,<ref>{{Cite news|last=Miller|first=Claire Cain|title=Sports Fans Break Records on Twitter|url=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/18/sports-fans-break-records-on-twitter/|publisher=Bits ([[blog]] of [[The New York Times]])|access-date=February 7, 2011|date=June 18, 2010}}</ref> and then again at the close of Japan's victory over [[Denmark national football team|Denmark]] in the World Cup when users published 3,283 tweets per second.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Van Grove, Jennifer|url=http://mashable.com/2010/06/25/tps-record/|title=Twitter Sets New Record: 3,283 Tweets Per Second|work=[[Mashable]]|access-date=February 7, 2011|date=June 25, 2010}}</ref> The record was set again during the [[2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Final]] between [[Japan women's national football team|Japan]] and the [[United States women's national soccer team|United States]], when 7,196 tweets per second were published.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/6779582/women-world-cup-final-breaks-twitter-record |title=Women's World Cup Final breaks Twitter record |publisher=[[ESPN (United States)|ESPN]] |date=July 18, 2011 |access-date=July 31, 2011}}</ref> When American singer [[Michael Jackson]] died on June 25, 2009, Twitter servers crashed after users were updating their status to include the words "Michael Jackson" at a rate of 100,000 tweets per hour.<ref>{{cite news|last=Shiels |first=Maggie |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8120324.stm |title=Web Slows After Jackson's Death |work=[[BBC News]] |date=June 26, 2009 |access-date=February 7, 2011}}</ref> The current record as of August 3, 2013, was set in Japan, with 143,199 tweets per second during a television screening of the movie ''[[Castle in the Sky]]''<ref name="raffi" /> (beating the previous record of 33,388, also set by Japan for the television screening of the same movie).<ref>{{cite news|last= Kanalley|first= Craig|url=https://huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/02/tweets-per-second-record_n_2396915.html |title=Tweets-Per-Second Record Set By Japan, Korea On New Year's Day 2013 |work=[[The Huffington Post]] |date=January 2, 2013 |access-date=January 3, 2013}}</ref>

The first unassisted off-Earth Twitter message was posted from the [[International Space Station]] by [[NASA]] [[astronaut]] [[Timothy Creamer|T. J. Creamer]] on January 22, 2010.<ref>[[Press release]] (January 22, 2010). [http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2010/jan/HQ_M10-011_Hawaii221169.html "Media Advisory M10-012 – NASA Extends the World Wide Web Out into Space"]. [[NASA]]. Retrieved February 5, 2011.</ref> By late November 2010, an average of a dozen updates per day were posted on the astronauts' communal account, @NASA_Astronauts. NASA has also hosted over 25 [[NASA Social|"tweetups"]], events that provide guests with VIP access to NASA facilities and speakers with the goal of leveraging participants' social networks to further the outreach goals of NASA.

Twitter acquired application developer Atebits on April 11, 2010. Atebits had developed the [[Apple Design Award]]-winning Twitter client [[Tweetie]] for the [[Macintosh|Mac]] and [[iPhone]]. The application, became the official Twitter client for the iPhone, [[iPad]] and Mac.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Miller, Claire Cain|url=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/twitter-acquires-atebits-maker-of-tweetie/|title=Twitter Acquires Atebits, Maker of Tweetie |date= April 11, 2010|access-date=February 7, 2011 | publisher=Bits ([[blog]] of [[The New York Times]])}}</ref>

=== 2010–2014 ===
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, which shifted links such as '@mentions' and 'Retweets' above the Twitter stream, while 'Messages' and 'Log Out' became accessible via a black bar at the very top of twitter.com. As of November 1, 2010, the company confirmed that the "New Twitter experience" had been rolled out to all users. In 2019, Twitter was announced to be the 10th most downloaded mobile app of the decade, from 2010 to 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/10-most-downloaded-apps-of-the-decade-facebook-dominated-2010-2019/|title=Facebook was the most-downloaded app of the decade|last=Rayome|first=Alison DeNisco|website=CNET|access-date=December 18, 2019}}</ref>

On April 5, 2011, Twitter tested a new homepage and phased out the "Old Twitter".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/05/new-twitter-homepage_n_845110.html |title=Twitter Users Report Twitter.com Has A New Homepage (SCREENSHOTS) |work=The Huffington Post |date=May 4, 2011 |access-date=May 22, 2011 |first=Dean |last=Praetorius}}</ref> However, a glitch came about after the page was launched, so the previous "retro" homepage was still in use until the issues were resolved; the new homepage was reintroduced on April 20.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Dunn |first=John E |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/224410/twitter_delays_homepage_revamp_after_service_glitch.html |title=Twitter Delays Homepage Revamp After Service Glitch |magazine=PCWorld |date=April 6, 2011 |access-date=May 22, 2011 |archive-date=May 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510080610/http://www.pcworld.com/article/224410/twitter_delays_homepage_revamp_after_service_glitch.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webpronews.com/new-twitter-homepage-2011-04|title=New Twitter Homepage Launched|first=Chris|last=Crum|date=April 20, 2011|access-date=April 25, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110424083859/http://www.webpronews.com/new-twitter-homepage-2011-04|archive-date=April 24, 2011}}</ref> On December 8, 2011, Twitter overhauled its website once more to feature the "Fly" design, which the service says is easier for new users to follow and promotes advertising. In addition to the ''Home'' tab, the ''Connect'' and ''Discover'' tabs were introduced along with a redesigned profile and timeline of Tweets. The site's layout has been compared to that of [[Facebook]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fly.twitter.com/ |title=Twitter: Yours to discover |publisher=Fly.twitter.com |access-date=January 20, 2012 |archive-date=January 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118201742/http://fly.twitter.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/tech/twitter-2-0-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-changes |title=Twitter 2.0: Everything You Need to Know About the New Changes |work=Fox News |date=April 7, 2010 |access-date=January 20, 2012}}</ref> On February 21, 2012, it was announced that Twitter and [[Yandex]] agreed to a partnership. Yandex, a Russian search engine, finds value within the partnership due to Twitter's real time news feeds. Twitter's director of business development explained that it is important to have Twitter content where Twitter users go.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/twitter-yandex-idUSL5E8DK89H20120221|title=Twitter partners with Yandex for real-time search|work=Reuters|date=February 21, 2012|access-date=July 2, 2017|archive-date=September 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924162436/http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/21/twitter-yandex-idUSL5E8DK89H20120221|url-status=live}}</ref> On March 21, 2012, Twitter celebrated its sixth birthday by announcing that it had 140&nbsp;million users, a 40% rise from September 2011, who were sending 340&nbsp;million tweets per day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mashable.com/2012/03/21/twitter-has-140-million-users/|title=Twitter Says It Has 140 Million Users|date=March 21, 2012|work=Mashable}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://mashable.com/2012/12/18/twitter-200-million-active-users/|title=Twitter Now Has More Than 200 Million Monthly Active Users|date=December 18, 2012|work=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 |first=Salvador |last=Rodriguez |title=Twitter flips the bird, adopts new logo |url=https://latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-twitter-new-bird-20120606%2C0%2C2138652.story |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712062434/http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-twitter-new-bird-20120606%2C0%2C2138652.story |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=June 6, 2012 |archive-date=July 12, 2012 |url-status=dead |access-date=May 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |first=Scott |last=Gilbertson |title=Twitter's New Logo Inspires Parodies, CSS Greatness |url=https://www.wired.com/2012/06/twitters-new-logo-inspires-parodies-css-greatness/ |magazine=Wired |date=June 8, 2012 |access-date=May 5, 2017}}</ref> On December 18, 2012, Twitter announced it had surpassed 200&nbsp;million [[monthly active users]]. 

On January 28, 2013, Twitter acquired [[Crashlytics]] in order to build out its mobile developer products.<ref name="crashlytics">{{Cite news |url=https://xconomy.com/boston/2013/02/05/twitters-boston-acquisitions-crashlytics-tops-100m-bluefin-labs-close-behind/|title=Twitter's Boston Acquisitions: Crashlytics Tops $100M, Bluefin Labs Close Behind|date=February 5, 2013|newspaper=[[Xconomy]]|access-date=November 22, 2021|last=T. Huang|first=Gregory}}</ref> On April 18, 2013, Twitter launched a music app called Twitter Music for the iPhone.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ulanoff|first=Lance|title=Twitter Launches Twitter #music App and Service|url=http://mashable.com/2013/04/18/twitter-music-launch-2/|publisher=Mashable|access-date=April 28, 2013|work=[[Mashable]]|date=April 18, 2013}}</ref> On August 28, 2013, Twitter acquired Trendrr,<ref>{{cite news | url=https://thenextweb.com/twitter/2013/08/28/twitter-acquires-real-time-social-data-company-trendrr-to-help-it-better-tap-into-tv-and-media/ | title=Twitter acquires real-time social data company Trendrr to help it better tap into TV and media | work=The Next web | date=August 28, 2013 | access-date=August 29, 2013}}</ref> followed by the acquisition of MoPub on September 9, 2013.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://money.cnn.com/2013/09/10/technology/social/twitter-acquisition/index.html | title=Twitter makes another acquisition | work=CNN Money | access-date=September 10, 2013 | first=Chris | last=Isidore | date=September 10, 2013}}</ref> As of September 2013, the company's data showed that 200&nbsp;million users sent over 400&nbsp;million tweets daily, with nearly 60% of tweets sent from mobile devices.<ref>{{cite news|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|access-date=September 13, 2013|newspaper=The Guardian|date=September 12, 2013|first=Heidi|last=Moore}}</ref>

During [[Super Bowl XLVII]] on February 3, 2013, when the power went out in the [[Mercedes-Benz Superdome]] [[Mondelez International]], vice president Lisa Mann was asked to tweet, "You can still dunk in the dark", referring to [[Oreo]] cookies. She approved, and as she told ''[[Ad Age]]'' in 2020, "literally the world [had] changed when I woke up the next morning." This became a milestone in the development of commenting daily on culture.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Q&AA: The CMO Fixer: After working for major marketers, Lisa Mann now places CMOs and other executives. She gives her take on what's ailing top brands and what companies are looking for in top execs|last=Schultz|first=E.J.|journal=[[Ad Age]]|date=October 5, 2020|page=6|volume=91|issue=19}}</ref>

=== 2014–2020 ===
In April 2014, Twitter underwent a redesign that made the site resemble Facebook somewhat, with 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.}} That layout was used as main for the desktop front end until July 2019, undergoing changes over time such as removal of shortcut buttons to jump to the previous or next tweet in early 2017, and rounded profile pictures since June 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://twitter.com/twitter/status/738501397658800128|title=Wayback Machine|website=web.archive.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2014/4/8/5593102/twitter-web-profile-redesign|title=Twitter redesign looks a lot like Facebook|first=Vlad|last=Savov|date=April 8, 2014|website=The Verge}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Twitter-like Header Parallax Effect Using Pure CSS / CSS3 |url=https://www.cssscript.com/twitter-like-header-parallax-effect-using-pure-css-css3/ |website=CSS Script |date=May 19, 2015}}</ref>

In April 2015, the Twitter.com desktop homepage changed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/a/2015/twittercom-gets-a-refresh.html|title=Twitter.com gets a refresh|website=blog.twitter.com|access-date=July 30, 2019}}</ref> Later in the year it became apparent that growth had slowed, according to Fortune,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fortune.com/2015/10/29/twitter-growth/|title=What if the Twitter growth everyone is hoping for never comes?|first=Matthew|last=Ingram|magazine=Fortune|date=October 25, 2015|access-date=September 23, 2016}}</ref> Business Insider,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-user-growth-continues-to-stall-2015-10|title=Twitter user growth continues to stall|first1=Laurie|last1=Beaver|first2=Margaret|last2=Boland|website=Business Insider|date=October 28, 2015|access-date=September 23, 2016}}</ref> Marketing Land<ref>{{cite web|url=http://marketingland.com/revenue-is-up-but-twitter-still-struggling-in-slow-growth-mode-148852|title=Revenue Is Up, But Twitter Is Still Struggling In Slow Growth Mode|first=Martin|last=Beck|publisher=Marketing Land|date=October 27, 2015|access-date=September 23, 2016}}</ref> and other news websites including Quartz (in 2016).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://qz.com/614607/twitter-now-has-a-problem-thats-way-worse-than-slow-user-growth/|title=Twitter now has a problem that's way worse than slow user growth|first=Alice|last=Truong|work=Quartz|date=February 10, 2016|access-date=September 23, 2016}}</ref>

Since May 2018, tweet replies deemed by an algorithm to be detractive from conversation are initially hidden, and only loaded through actuating a "Show more replies" element at the bottom.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Oremus |first1=Will |title=Twitter Will Start Hiding Tweets That "Detract From the Conversation" |url=https://slate.com/technology/2018/05/twitter-will-start-hiding-tweets-that-detract-from-the-conversation.html |website=Slate Magazine |date=May 15, 2018}}</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 |access-date=August 25, 2020 |website=PCMAG }}</ref> and ended support for [[TLS 1.0]] and [[TLS 1.1|1.1]] connections.<ref>{{cite web |date=July 12, 2019 |title=Twitter will deprecate support for TLS 1.0, TLS 1.1 on July 15 |url=https://www.thesslstore.com/blog/twitter-will-deprecate-support-for-tls-1-0-tls-1-1-on-july-15/ |website=Hashed Out by The SSL Store™}}</ref>

===2020–2021===
[[File:Donald_J_Trump_(realDonaldTrump)_Twitter_-_публикация_от_2020-05-26.png|right|thumb|The two tweets on May 26, 2020, from President Trump that Twitter had marked "potentially misleading" (inserting the blue warning icon and "Get the facts..." language) that led to the executive order]]Twitter 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 |access-date=March 14, 2022 |publisher=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/tech-talk/telecom/internet/twitter-bots-are-spreading-massive-amounts-of-covid-19-misinformation |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="twitter misinformation">{{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 |access-date=May 28, 2020 |publisher=Twitter}}</ref>  In May 2020, Twitter moderators marked two tweets from U.S. President [[Donald Trump]] as "potentially misleading" and linked to a fact-check.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lybrand |first1=Holmes |last2=Subramaniam |first2=Tara |date=May 27, 2020 |title=Fact-checking Trump's recent claims that mail-in voting is rife with fraud |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/27/app-politics-section/donald-trump-mail-in-voter-fraud-fact-check/index.html |access-date=May 28, 2020 |work=[[CNN]]}}</ref> Trump responded by signing an executive order to weaken [[Section 230]] of the [[Communications Decency Act]], which limits social media sites' liability for content moderation decisions.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Allyn |first1=Bobby |date=May 28, 2020 |title=Stung By Twitter, Trump Signs Executive Order To Weaken Social Media Companies |newspaper=NPR |publisher=National Public Radio |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/05/28/863932758/stung-by-twitter-trump-signs-executive-order-to-weaken-social-media-companies |access-date=May 29, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=May 28, 2020 |title=rump signs executive order targeting social media companies |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/28/politics/trump-twitter-social-media-executive-order/index.html |access-date=May 29, 2020 |website=CNN |publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Conger |first1=Kate |last2=Isaac |first2=Mike |date=May 28, 2020 |title=Defying Trump, Twitter Doubles Down on Labeling Tweets |website=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/28/technology/trump-twitter-fact-check.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=May 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528160018/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/28/technology/trump-twitter-fact-check.html |archive-date=May 28, 2020}}</ref> Twitter later banned Trump, claiming that he violated "the glorification of violence policy".<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 8, 2021 |title=Twitter 'permanently suspends' Trump's account |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55597840 |access-date=November 6, 2022}}</ref> The ban was criticized by conservatives and some European leaders, who saw it as an interference on freedom of speech.<ref name=":5">{{cite news |date=January 11, 2021 |title=Germany and France Oppose Trump's Twitter Exile |newspaper=Bloomberg.com |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-11/merkel-sees-closing-trump-s-social-media-accounts-problematic |access-date=January 11, 2021 |quote=The chancellor sees the complete closing down of the account of an elected president as problematic," Steffen Seibert, her chief spokesman, said at a regular news conference in Berlin. Rights like the freedom of speech "can be interfered with, but by law and within the framework defined by the legislature -- not according to a corporate decision.}}</ref>

On June 5, 2021, the [[Nigeria]]n government issued an [[Ban of Twitter in Nigeria|indefinite ban]] on Twitter usage in the country, citing "misinformation and fake news spread through it have had real world violent consequences",<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 6, 2021 |title=Nigeria's Twitter ban: Government orders prosecution of violators |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-57368535 |access-date=June 20, 2021 |website=BBC News}}</ref> after the platform removed tweets made by the Nigerian President [[Muhammadu Buhari]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Nigeria suspends Twitter after the social media platform freezes president's account |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/06/04/nigeria-suspends-twitter-buhari/ |access-date=June 20, 2021 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>  Nigeria's ban was criticized by [[Amnesty International]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Ohuocha |first=Chijioke |date=June 5, 2021 |title=Nigerian telecoms firms suspend access to Twitter |publisher=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/nigerian-telecoms-firms-suspend-twitter-access-2021-06-05/ |access-date=June 20, 2021}}</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 |work=Deadline |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/ |access-date=March 26, 2021}}</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/ |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 |access-date=August 10, 2021 |website=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 |access-date=August 10, 2021 |website=The Verge}}</ref> "super follows", a way to subscribe to creators for exclusive content;<ref>{{Cite news |last= |date=September 1, 2021 |title=Twitter launches subscription-based feature "super follows" |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/twitter-launches-subscription-based-feature-super-follows-2021-09-01/ |access-date=November 6, 2022}}</ref> and a beta of "ticketed Spaces", which makes access to certain audio rooms paid.<ref>{{Cite web|date=June 22, 2021 |last=Robertson |first=Adi |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 |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.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.engadget.com/twitter-redesign-chirp-202504463.html | title = Twitter rolls out redesign with proprietary Chirp font | first = Igor | last =Bonifac | date = August 11, 2021 | access-date = August 11, 2021 | work = [[Engadget]] }}</ref>

===Since 2022===
In June 2022, Twitter announced a partnership with e-commerce giant [[Shopify]], and its plans to launch a sales channel app for U.S. Shopify merchants.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Twitter partners with Shopify to bring merchants' products to Twitter Shopping |url=https://social.techcrunch.com/2022/06/22/twitter-partners-with-shopify-to-bring-merchants-products-to-twitter-shopping/ |access-date=June 23, 2022 |website=TechCrunch |date=June 22, 2022}}</ref>

==== Acquisition by Elon Musk====
{{Further|Acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk}}
[[Business magnate]] [[Elon Musk]] began speaking of buying Twitter, Inc. in early 2022, stating his concerns with the company's commitment to free speech and whether Twitter's moderation policies were undermining democracy.<ref name="ap musk timeline"/> Musk reportedly planned major changes to Twitter's treatment of spambots, a more lenient content moderation policy, revamp of its offered services, and cost cuts. In the long-run, Musk expressed an intention to turn Twitter into an "everything app" like [[WeChat]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 28, 2022 |title=What Elon Musk might do with Twitter after his takeover is complete |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/oct/28/elon-musk-twitter-takeover-complete-what-he-might-do-happens-next-deal-free-speech-private-bots |access-date=November 3, 2022 |website=the Guardian}}</ref><!-- Please make sure you're familiar with [[WP:RECENTISM]], [[WP:VNOT]], and  [[WP:NOT]] before adding things to this section. Keep in mind that rumored or proposed changes likely have no long-term encyclopedic value ([[WP:10YT]]); in which case they don't belong here (or anywhere else). "What belongs here" will be clearer in a few weeks. -->

Initially, Musk sought a position on the Twitter, Inc. Board of Directors by buying shares of the company, but the Board created a "[[Shareholder rights plan|poison pill]]" to prevent Musk from gaining sufficient shares. Subsequently, Musk made an unsolicited offer to buy Twitter, Inc. for $43 billion on April 14, 2022. This process went through a number of business and legal confrontations, but ultimately, Musk completed the acquisition on October 27, 2022, for $44 billion.<ref name="ap musk timeline">{{Cite web |date=October 27, 2022 |title=Timeline of billionaire Elon Musk's bid to control Twitter |url=https://apnews.com/article/twitter-elon-musk-timeline-c6b09620ee0905e59df9325ed042a609 |access-date=November 3, 2022 |website=AP NEWS}}</ref> Musk immediately fired the top three Twitter executives.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Dang |first1=Sheila |last2=Roumeliotis |first2=Greg |date=October 28, 2022 |title=Musk begins his Twitter ownership with firings, declares the 'bird is freed' |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/elon-musk-completes-44-bln-acquisition-twitter-2022-10-28/ |access-date=November 7, 2022}}</ref> About a week later, he began laying off about half of the company's approximately 7,500 employees.<ref>{{cite web |last1=O'Sullivan |first1=Donie |last2=Duffy |first2=Claire |title=Elon Musk's Twitter lays off employees across the company |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/03/tech/twitter-layoffs/index.html |website=CNN |access-date=November 5, 2022 |date=November 4, 2022}}</ref>

A week after the takeover, Musk revamped Twitter Blue, increasing its price to $8 per month and adding new features, including the "[[Twitter verification|blue checkmark]]" verification that had previously been reserved for high-profile confirmed users. This plan was criticized by several outlets, fearing that the potential for misinformation would increase since anyone could pay to appear to be verified through Twitter Blue. Musk opted to delay the changes to blue checkmarks until after the [[2022 United States elections|2022 midterm elections in the U.S.]] over these concerns, and stated that accounts that were faking identities, outside of parody accounts, would be terminated.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/06/tech/twitter-verification-delay-midterms/index.html | title = Twitter delays $8 'blue check' verification plan until after the midterms | first1 =  Jennifer | last1 = Korn | first2 = Donie | last2=  O'Sullivan | date = November 6, 2022 | accessdate = November 6, 2022 | work = [[CNN]] }}</ref> Following the takeover, various brands and companies paused advertising on the platform.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fung |first=Brian |date=November 11, 2022 |title=A day of chaos brings Twitter closer to the brink |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/11/tech/twitter-chaos-musk/index.html |access-date=November 13, 2022 |website=CNN}}</ref>

Musk undid the prior ban on Donald Trump on November 19, 2022, following a poll Musk posted in favor of lifting the ban.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/19/23467280/donald-trump-twitter-back-elon-musk-poll | title = Elon Musk says he's letting Donald Trump back on Twitter | first1 = James | last1 = Vincent | first2 = Sean | last2 = Hollister | date = November 19, 2022 | accessdate=  November 19, 2022 | work = [[The Verge]] }}</ref> Musk also unbanned other notable accounts that had been banned for misinformation previously, including [[The Babylon Bee]] and [[Jordan Peterson]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.vulture.com/2022/11/kanye-west-donald-trump-back-on-twitter.html  | title = Oh Good, Kanye West Is Back on Twitter | first = Bethy | last = Squires | date = November 28, 2022 | accessdate = December 9, 2022 | work = [[Vultuer (website)|Vulture]] }}</ref> Musk also unbanned [[Kanye West]], but a few weeks later re-instituted his ban after he posted a series of tweets that Musk said were incitement to violence, including one that posted a [[swastika]] within the [[Jewish star]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63826675 | title = Elon Musk suspends Kanye West from Twitter for inciting violence | first = Thomas | last = Mackintosh | date = December 2, 2022 | accessdate = December 9, 2022 | work = [[BBC News]] }}</ref>

During December 2022, Musk provided internal documentation to a number of independent journalists and writers which were then publicly disseminated through a series of posts known as the "[[Twitter Files]]". The files describe internal discussion as related to Twitter's moderation steps in events such as the breaking of the [[Hunter Biden laptop controversy|Hunter Biden laptop]] story, [[shadow banning]] of some conservative commentators' accounts, and the decision to block Trump.  While some on the right saw the documents as evidence of Twitter's liberal bias and hostility to free speech, many people on the left described them as a reflection of how difficult it is for social media platforms to make tough decisions about content moderation.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/04/business/media/elon-musk-twitter-matt-taibbi.html | title = Elon Musk, Matt Taibbi, and a Very Modern Media Maelstrom | first = Michael | last =Grynbaum | date = December 4, 2022 | accessdate = December 9, 2022 | work = [[The New York Times]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://thehill.com/policy/technology/3770483-american-author-michael-shellenberger-releases-twitter-files-part-4/ | title = American author Michael Shellenberger releases 'Twitter Files Part 4' | first=  Chloe | last = Folmar | date = December 10, 2022 | accessdate = December 11, 2022 | work = [[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] }}</ref><ref name="alJazeeraDec7">{{Cite news |date=December 7, 2022 |title=Musk says Twitter lawyer fired amid Hunter Biden laptop dispute |work=[[Al Jazeera]] |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/12/7/musk-says-twitter-lawyer-fired-amid-hunter-biden-laptop-storm |access-date=December 7, 2022}}</ref>

The Twitter accounts of a number of journalists were permanently suspended on December 15, 2022. These journalists, including [[Mashable]]'s Matt Binder, Aaron Rupar, ''[[The New York Times]]''' Ryan Mac, and [[CNN]]'s Donie O'Sullivan, have covered Twitter and recently wrote articles about Musk's takeover.  Several of the reporters had recently tweeted about the controversy over Musk's banning of [[ElonJet]] and other accounts which track private jets.<ref name=VergeJournalistsBanned>[https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/15/23512004/elon-musk-starts-banning-critical-journalists-from-twitter Elon Musk starts banning critical journalists from Twitter]. [[The Verge]], 15 December 2022</ref><ref name="CNNJournalistsBanned">[https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/15/media/twitter-musk-journalists-hnk-intl/index.html Elon Musk’s Twitter bans accounts of CNN, NYT, WaPo journalists]. [[Oliver Darcy]], [[CNN]], 15 December 2022</ref> In response, Twitter Head of Trust and Safety Ella Irwin told [[The Verge]] "we will suspend any accounts that violate our privacy policies and put other users at risk."<ref>[https://twitter.com/alexeheath/status/1603571850709045249 Re: the banning of reporters who have tweeted about Elon Musk’s jet, Twitter's head of trust & safety Ella Irwin tells me: “Without commenting on any specific accounts, I can confirm that we will suspend any accounts that violate our privacy policies and put other users at risk."] Alex Heath, Twitter, 15 December 2022</ref> Binder denied violating any of Twitter's policies, saying "I did not share any location data, as per Twitter’s new terms. Nor did I share any links to ElonJet or other location tracking accounts."<ref name=APJournalistsBanned>[https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-technology-business-dac21de7abb6167bb604f5317aeda10a Twitter suspends journalists who wrote about owner Elon Musk]. [[Associated Press]], 15 December 2022</ref> CNN journalist Oliver Darcy wrote that the bannings "called into serious question Musk’s supposed commitment to free speech."<ref name=CNNJournalistsBanned/>  A group of the suspended users created a [[Twitter#Spaces|Space]] where they discussed the actions (a function they were still able to use); after Musk joined the space and continued to criticize the ElonJet account, Spaces was abruptly disabled site-wide, with employees citing a "legacy bug".<ref name=":12" />

The [[Washington Post|''Washington Post'']] said in a statement that suspending reporter Drew Harwell “undermines Elon Musk’s claim that he intends to run Twitter as a platform dedicated to free speech”.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/dec/15/twitter-suspends-accounts-journalists-musk Twitter suspends accounts of several journalists who had reported on Elon Musk] ''[[The Guardian]]''</ref>  [[European Union]] commissioner [[Vera Jourova]] stated that the EU [[Digital Services Act]] insists on media freedom.  Jourova stated "Elon Musk should be aware of that. There are red lines. And sanctions, soon."<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-63996061 Twitter threatened with EU sanctions over journalists' ban] ''[[BBC]]''</ref>  On 17 December 2022 in a [[Flip-flop (politics)|u-turn]] several banned journalists' accounts were reinstated.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64010202 Twitter reinstates banned journalists' accounts] ''[[BBC]]''</ref> Twitter also appeared to block links to [[Mastodon (social network)|Mastodon]] as malware or potentially harmful.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-12-16 |title=Twitter blocks users from sharing Mastodon links |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-63999452 |access-date=2022-12-19}}</ref>

On December 18, 2022 Twitter announced that it was banning users linking to what were referred to as "prohibited platforms" including [[Facebook]], Mastodon, [[Instagram]] and [[Truth Social]], as well as third party link aggregators such as [[Linktree]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-18 |title=Twitter bans linking to Facebook, Instagram, other rivals |url=https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-business-8dac8ae023444ef9c37ca1d8fe1c14df |access-date=2022-12-18 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}</ref> Six hours after his announcement Musk tweeted "Going forward, there will be a vote for major policy changes. My apologies. Won't happen again" although it is unclear if the earlier policy will be reversed. He also tweeted a poll asking users if he should remain as head of Twitter promising to abide by its results,<ref>{{Cite web |title='Should I step down as head of Twitter?' asks Musk on Twitter |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/world/others/should-i-step-down-as-head-of-twitter-asks-musk-on-twitter20221219052745/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=ANI News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Brandon |first=John |title=Elon Musk Just Started A Poll Asking Whether He Should Step Down As Head Of Twitter |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnbbrandon/2022/12/18/elon-musk-just-started-a-poll-asking-whether-he-should-step-down-as-head-of-twitter/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> in which 57.5% of the 17.5m votes were in favour of him stepping down.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-12-19 |title=Will Elon Musk's ultimatum cost him Twitter? |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-64003232 |access-date=2022-12-19}}</ref>

On December 20, 2022, Musk announced he would step down as CEO once a replacement had been found, and that he would then run the software and servers teams.<ref name=":13" />

Since the acqusition, Twitter's stability has been called into question, with reports that Elon had "disconnected one of the more sensitive server racks" in a datacenter used by Twitter, just before a large-scale outage of the platform occurred in December 2022.<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/28/technology/twitter-outages.html</ref> In 2023, many alternative third-party Twitter clients including [[Tweetbot]], stopped working without warning and without any apparent explanation from the company, with developers of such applications being unable to contact anyone to source an explanation for their errors, which often include a reference to authentication being unavailable or being unauthorised.<ref>https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/13/23553161/third-party-twitter-clients-apps-outage-twitterific-tweetbot</ref>

==== Whistleblower complaint ====

On August 23, 2022, the contents of a whistleblower complaint by former information security head [[Peiter Zatko]] to the United States Congress were published. Zatko had been fired by Twitter in January 2022. The complaint alleges that Twitter failed to disclose several data breaches, had negligent security measures, violated [[United States securities regulation]]s, and broke the terms of a previous settlement with the [[Federal Trade Commission]] over the safeguarding of user data. The report also claims that the Indian government forced Twitter to hire one of its agents to gain direct access to user data.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Vincent |first1=James |title=Twitter's former security chief says company lied about bots and safety |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/23/23317857/twitter-whistleblower-zatko-security-spam-safety |publisher=The Verge |date=August 23, 2022}}</ref>

==Appearance and features==
{{Main|List of Twitter features}}

==={{anchor|Tweets}}Tweets===
[[File:Twitter wikipedia.png|thumb|right|The Twitter account page for Wikipedia, demonstrating the account-customized timeline view which shows tweets in reverse chronological order]]
Tweets are 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 tweets, and remove accounts from their followers list.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/wiredinsider/2014/02/know-your-twitter-terms-block-vs-mute/|title=Know Your Twitter Terms: 'Block' vs. 'Mute'|magazine=Wired|access-date=July 20, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Gibbs|first=Samuel|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/may/13/twitter-mute-unfollow-block-reason-secret-abuse|title=13 reasons to mute people on Twitter|work=The Guardian|date=May 13, 2014|access-date=July 21, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/11/22721218/twitter-soft-block-remove-follower-web |title=Now every Twitter web user can 'soft block' annoying followers |work=The Verge |date=October 11, 2021 |access-date=October 12, 2021}}</ref> Users can tweet 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 |url=http://help.twitter.com/entries/14226-how-to-find-your-twitter-short-long-code |title=Using Twitter with Your Phone |quote=We currently support 2-way (sending and receiving) Twitter SMS via short codes and one-way (sending only) via long codes. |publisher=Twitter Support |access-date=June 1, 2010 |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 }}</ref> Users may subscribe to other users' tweets—this is known as "following" and subscribers are known as "followers"<ref name="lists1">{{cite web|author=Stone, Biz|url=http://blog.twitter.com/2009/10/theres-list-for-that.html |title=There's a List for That |publisher=blog.twitter.com |date=October 30, 2009 |access-date=February 1, 2010}}</ref> or "tweeps", a portmanteau of Twitter and peeps.<ref>{{cite news |author=Brown, Amanda|title=The tricky business of business tweeting|date=March 2, 2011 |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2011/0302/1224291133449.html|newspaper=The Irish Times |access-date=April 28, 2011}}</ref> Individual tweets can be forwarded by other users to their own feed, a process known as a "retweet". In 2015, Twitter launched "quote tweet" (originally called "retweet with comment"),<ref name=verge-quotetweet>{{cite news |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 |date=September 1, 2020 |last=Porter |first=Jon |access-date=May 23, 2021 |work=The Verge}}</ref> a feature that allows users to add a comment to their retweet, nesting one tweet in the other.<ref>{{cite news |title= Twitter Officially Launches Its "Retweet With Comment" Feature |url= https://techcrunch.com/2015/04/06/retweetception/ |date=April 7, 2015 |last=Shu |first=Catherine |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|access-date=November 4, 2015|work=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media}}</ref>

The counters for "likes", "retweets", and replies appear next to the respective buttons in timelines such as on profile pages and search results. Counters for likes and retweets exist on a tweet's standalone page too. Since September 2020, quote tweets, formerly known as "retweet with comment", have their own counter on their tweet 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 |last1=Smith |first1=Catharine |title=9 Things You Need To Know About Twitter's Massive Redesign |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/twitter-new-features_n_1137850 |website=HuffPost |access-date=August 16, 2021 |date=December 8, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Diese Tweets wurden am häufigsten geteilt |url=https://www.capital.de/wirtschaft-politik/diese-tweets-wurden-am-haeufigsten-geteilt |website=Capital.de |language=de-DE |date=May 27, 2020}}</ref>

Twitter allows users to update their profile via their mobile phone either by text messaging or by apps released for certain smartphones and tablets.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/download|title=Download the free Twitter app &#124; Twitter|website=twitter.com|access-date=July 30, 2019}}</ref> Twitter has been compared to a web-based [[Internet Relay Chat]] (IRC) client.<ref>{{cite web|last=Stutzman |first=Fred |title=The 12-Minute Definitive Guide to Twitter |url=http://dev.aol.com/article/2007/04/definitive-guide-to-twitter |date=April 11, 2007 |publisher=AOL Developer Network |access-date=November 12, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704074026/http://dev.aol.com/article/2007/04/definitive-guide-to-twitter |archive-date=July 4, 2008 }}</ref> In a 2009 ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine essay, technology author [[Steven Berlin Johnson|Steven Johnson]] described the basic mechanics of Twitter as "remarkably simple":

{{Blockquote|As a social network, Twitter revolves around the principle of followers. When you choose to follow another Twitter user, that user's tweets appear in reverse chronological order on your main Twitter page. If you follow 20 people, you'll see a mix of tweets scrolling down the page: breakfast-cereal updates, interesting new links, music recommendations, even musings on the future of education.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Johnson, Steven | title=How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live | date=June 5, 2009 | url=http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1902604,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100511100916/http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1902604,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=May 11, 2010 | magazine = [[Time (magazine)|Time]] | access-date = February 13, 2011 | author-link=Steven Berlin Johnson }}</ref>}}

Twitter announced in a tweet on September 1, 2022, that the ability to edit a tweet was being tested for a few users. The company said the feature was being tested first to determine whether it could be abused. Editing would be allowed for 30 minutes, and previous versions of an edited post would be available. Eventually, all [[#Twitter Blue|Twitter Blue]] subscribers would be able to use the feature.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/article265190971.html|title=The edit button may finally be coming to Twitter. Here's when you'll be able to use it|last=Santiago|first=Evan|work=[[The Charlotte Observer]]|date=September 3, 2022|access-date=September 4, 2022}}</ref>

====Hashtags, usernames, retweets and replies====
{{Redirect|Twitter hashtag|more about hashtags|Hashtag}}
{{Further|Mention (blogging)#@ (At sign)}}
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|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/4698589/Twitter-how-to-set-up-your-account.html |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 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Twitter: How To Set Up Your Account |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |first=Donald |last=Strachan |date=February 19, 2009 |access-date=February 13, 2011 |location=London}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In 2014, in anticipation for the [[2014 FIFA World Cup|FIFA World Cup]], Twitter introduced hashflags, special hashtags that automatically generate a custom [[emoji]] next to them for a certain period of time, following the success of a similar campaign during the [[2010 World Cup]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Magdaleno|first=Alex|title=Raise Your 'Hashflags': Twitter Reintroduces World Cup Hashtags|url=https://mashable.com/2014/06/10/world-cup-twitter-hashflags/|access-date=May 16, 2021|website=Mashable|date=June 11, 2014}}</ref> Hashflags may be generated by Twitter themselves (such as to [[Consciousness raising|raise awareness]] for [[social issue]]s)<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|access-date=May 16, 2021|website=adage.com}}</ref> or be purchased by corporations (such as to promote products and events).<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}}</ref>

To repost a message from another Twitter user and share it with one's own followers, a user can click the retweet button within the Tweet. Users can reply to other accounts' replies. Since November 2019, users can hide replies to their messages. Since May 2020, users can select who can reply to each of their tweets before sending them: anyone, accounts who follow the poster, specific accounts, and none. This ability was upgraded in July 2021 to make the feature retroactively applicable to tweets after they have been sent out.<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 }}</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 }}</ref>

==== Using SMS ====
Through SMS, users can communicate with Twitter through five [[gateway (telecommunications)|gateway]] numbers: [[short code]]s for the United States, Canada, India, New Zealand, and an [[Isle of Man]]-based number for international use. There is also a short code in the United Kingdom which is only accessible to those on the [[Vodafone]], [[Telefónica Europe|O2]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/pda/2009/mar/27/twitter-socialnetworking1|title=Twitter Brings Back UK SMS; Vodafone First, Others To Follow| work=[[The Guardian]] | date=March 27, 2009| first=Robert| last=Andrews| access-date=June 7, 2009| location=London}}</ref> and [[Orange UK|Orange]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.twitter.com/2009/11/another-first-in-uk.html |title=Blog.Twitter.com |publisher=Blog.Twitter.com |date=November 16, 2009 |access-date=March 28, 2010}}</ref> networks. In India, since Twitter only supports tweets from [[Bharti Airtel]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.topnews.in/twitter-bharti-airtel-tieup-activate-twitter-sms-service-india-2224961|title=Twitter, Bharti Airtel Tie-Up To Activate Twitter SMS Service in India|author=Kutty, Darpana|date=October 15, 2009|work=topnews.in|access-date=February 23, 2011}}</ref> an alternative platform called smsTweet<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smstweet.in/|title=SMStweet :: Send Twitter Message sing SMS in India|access-date=April 3, 2010|location=India|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921034855/http://www.smstweet.in/|archive-date=September 21, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> was set up by a user to work on all networks.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/scitech/report_tweeting-via-sms-is-in-the-way-it-should-be_1324562|title=Tweeting Via SMS Is In, the Way It Should Be|author=Balanarayan, N.T.|date=December 17, 2009|work=[[Daily News and Analysis]]|access-date=February 23, 2011}}</ref> A similar platform called GladlyCast exists for mobile phone users in Singapore and Malaysia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gladlycast.com/|title=Update Twitter or Plurk by sending an SMS to a Singapore or Malaysia local number|access-date=April 3, 2010|location=Singapore|archive-date=January 25, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130125082254/http://gladlycast.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The tweets were set to a largely constrictive 140-character limit for compatibility with SMS messaging, introducing the shorthand notation and [[Internet slang|slang commonly used in SMS]] messages. The 140-character limit also increased the usage of [[URL shortening]] services such as [[Bitly|bit.ly]], [[Google URL Shortener|goo.gl]], [[tinyURL|tinyurl.com]], [[tr.im]], and other content-hosting services such as [[TwitPic]], memozu.com and NotePub to accommodate [[multimedia]] content and text longer than 140 characters. Since June 2011, Twitter has used its own [[t.co]] domain for automatic [[URL shortening|shortening]] of all URLs posted on its site, making other link shorteners unnecessary for staying within Twitter's 140 character limit.<ref name="twitterhelpshort">{{cite web|url=http://support.twitter.com/entries/109623|title=About Twitter's Link Service <http://t.co>|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><ref name="t.co rollout" />

In April 2020, Twitter discontinued the ability to receive SMS messages containing the text of new tweets in most countries.<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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>

==== Character limits ====
In 2016, Twitter announced that media such as photos, videos, and the person's handle, would not count against the already constrictive 140 character limit. A user photo post used to count for a large chunk of a Tweet, about 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}}</ref> Attachments and links would also no longer be part of the character limit.<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}}</ref>

Since March 30, 2017, the Twitter handles are outside the tweet itself, therefore they no longer count towards the character limit.<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}}</ref> Only new Twitter handles added to the conversation count towards the limit.

In 2017, 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}}</ref> Under the new limit, [[glyph]]s are counted as a variable number of characters, depending upon the script they are from: most European letters and punctuation forms count as one character, while each [[CJK]] glyph counts as two so that only 140 such glyphs can be used in a tweet.<ref name="new280limit" />

==== URL shortener ====
{{Anchor|t.co}}

t.co is a [[URL shortening]] service created by Twitter.<ref name="twitterhelpshort" /> 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}}</ref> Twitter hopes that the service will be able to protect users from malicious sites,<ref name="twitterhelpshort" /> and will 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]]}}</ref>

Having 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}}</ref> Twitter began experimenting with its own URL shortening service for private messages in March 2010 using the twt.tl domain,<ref name="twitterblog" /> before it purchased the t.co domain.<ref name="twitterblog" /> On June 7, 2011, Twitter announced that it was rolling out the feature.<ref name="t.co rollout">{{cite web|url=http://blog.twitter.com/2011/06/link-sharing-made-simple.html |author=Penner, Carolyn |title=Link Sharing Made Simple |date=June 7, 2011 |access-date=June 9, 2011 |publisher=Twitter Blog ([[blog]] of Twitter)}}</ref>

==== Image sharing ====
On June 1, 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"], 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]</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 |website=blog.twitter.com}}</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]]}}</ref>

==== Polls ====
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}}</ref> Initially, polls could have only two options with a maximum of twenty characters per option. Later,{{When|date=August 2019}} the ability to add four options with up to 25 characters per option, was added.

=== Non-tweet content ===

==== Streaming video ====
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]] as part of a partnership with [[CBS News]],<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 |work=CBS News}}</ref> [[Dreamhack]] and [[ESL (company)|ESL]] [[esports]] events,<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}}</ref> and winning a bid for non-exclusive streaming rights to ten [[NFL]] ''[[Thursday Night Football]]'' games in the [[2016 NFL season|2016 season]].<ref name="verge-twitterstreamingvideo" /><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}}</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 |publisher=Vox Media}}</ref> CEO Jack Dorsey stated that the digital video strategy was part of a goal for Twitter to be "the first place that anyone hears of anything going on that matters to them"; 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, NFL, 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}}</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]] (''Opening Bell'' and ''Closing Bell'' shows; the latter was introduced in October 2016) [[WME/IMG|IMG Fashion]] (coverage of fashion events), [[Live Nation Entertainment]] (streaming concert events), [[Major League Baseball]] (weekly online game stream, plus a weekly program with live look-ins and coverage of trending stories), [[MTV]] and [[BET (TV channel)|BET]] (red carpet coverage for their [[MTV Video Music Awards]], [[MTV Movie & TV Awards]], and [[BET Awards]]), [[NFL Network]] (the Monday-Thursday news program ''NFL Blitz Live'', and Sunday ''Fantasy Gameday''),<ref>{{Cite news |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=August 29, 2017 |title=NFL Sets Kickoff of Twitter Live Show for 2017–18 Season |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/nfl-twitter-live-streaming-show-nflblitz-1202541482/ |access-date=August 30, 2017}}</ref><ref name="verge-nfltwitter17">{{cite web |date=May 11, 2017 |title=Twitter signed a new live video deal with the NFL that doesn't include games |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/11/15624988/twitter-nfl-live-video-deal-broadcast |access-date=May 12, 2017 |website=The Verge}}</ref> the [[PGA Tour]] (''PGA Tour Live'' coverage of early tournament rounds preceding television coverage),<ref name="golf-pgatwitter">{{cite web |date=January 5, 2017 |title=PGA Tour, Twitter Ink Live-Streaming Deal for Coverage of Thursday, Friday Rounds |url=http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/pga-tour-twitter-ink-live-streaming-deal-early-round-coverage |access-date=May 12, 2017 |website=Golf.com}}</ref> ''[[The Players' Tribune]]'', [[Ben Silverman]] and [[Howard T. Owens]]' Propagate (daily entertainment show ''#WhatsHappening''), ''[[The Verge]]'' (weekly technology show ''Circuit Breaker: The Verge's Gadget Show''), [[Stadium (sports network)|Stadium]] (a new digital sports network being formed by [[Silver Chalice]] and [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]])<ref name="bandc-asnrevamp">{{cite web |date=April 14, 2017 |title=Sinclair Partners to Revamp, Relaunch Sports Network |url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/local-tv/sinclair-partners-revamp-relaunch-sports-network/164905 |access-date=April 15, 2017 |website=Broadcasting and Cable}}</ref><ref name="sbn-asnrelaunch">{{cite web |date=April 13, 2017 |title=American Sports Network, Campus Insiders, and 120 Sports Announce Mega-Merger Deal |url=http://www.underdogdynasty.com/2017/4/13/15295142/american-sports-network-campus-insiders-120-sports-announce-mega-merger-deal-tv-online-streaming-g5 |access-date=April 15, 2017 |website=Underdog Dynasty (SBNation) |publisher=Vox Media}}</ref><ref name="sunherald-stadium">{{cite web |title=Is Twitter the new home for Southern Miss football? |url=http://www.sunherald.com/sports/college/conference-usa/university-of-southern-mississippi/article148154494.html |access-date=May 12, 2017 |website=Sun Herald}}</ref> and the [[WNBA]] (weekly game).<ref name="variety-streamingchannel" />

==== Spaces ====
Twitter Spaces is a [[social audio]] feature that enables users to host or participate in a live-audio virtual environment called ''space'' for conversation. Spaces can accommodate an unlimited number of listeners. A maximum of 13 people (1 host, 2 co-hosts and 10 speakers) are allowed onstage. The feature was initially limited to users with at least 600 followers. Since October 21, 2021, any Twitter user can create a Space from the Android or iOS app.<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}}</ref>

Spaces was temporarily disabled on December 16, 2022 after it was discovered that suspended users could still participate in them.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=Sawers |first=Paul |date=2022-12-16 |title=Twitter pulls its Spaces group audio feature after Musk run-in with banned journalists |url=https://techcrunch.com/2022/12/16/twitter-pulls-its-spaces-group-audio-feature-after-musk-run-in-with-banned-journalists/ |access-date=2022-12-16 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref>

==== Fleets ====
In March 2020, Twitter began to test a [[Stories (social media)|stories]] feature known as "fleets" in some markets,<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Twitter starts testing its own version of Stories, called 'Fleets,' which disappear after 24 hours |url=https://social.techcrunch.com/2020/03/04/twitter-starts-testing-its-own-version-of-stories-called-fleets-which-disappear-after-24-hours/ |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}}</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}}</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}}</ref> Similarly to equivalent features, fleets can contain text and media, are only accessible for 24 hours after they are posted, and are accessed within the Twitter app via an area above the timeline.<ref name=":3" />

In June 2021, Twitter announced it would start implementing advertising into fleets, integrating full-screen ads among user-created content.<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}}</ref> On July 14, 2021, Twitter stated that it would remove Fleets by August 3. Twitter had intended for fleets to encourage more users to tweet regularly, rather than simply consume other folks' tweets, but instead fleets were generally used by users who already tweeted a lot. The company stated that their spot at the top of the screen would now be occupied by currently active Spaces from the user's feed.<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}}</ref>

=== Curation ===

====Trending topics====
{{Main|Twitter trends}}
[[File:Twitter TT.PNG|thumb|Countries and cities with local ''trending topics'' in Twitter]]
A word, phrase, or topic that is mentioned at a greater rate than others is said to be a "trending topic". Trending topics become popular either through a concerted effort by users or because of an event that prompts people to talk about a specific topic.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bloggers back media against youth league |url=http://www.journalism.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3103&Itemid=37 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718104406/http://www.journalism.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3103&Itemid=37 |archive-date=July 18, 2011 |access-date=April 3, 2010}}</ref> These topics help Twitter and their users to understand what is happening in the world and what people's opinions are about it.<ref>{{cite web |title=Top Twitter Trends of 2009 |url=http://blog.twitter.com/2009/12/top-twitter-trends-of-2009.html |access-date=April 3, 2010}}</ref> The Twitter web interface displays a list of trending topics on a sidebar on the home page, along with sponsored content.

Trending topics are sometimes the result of concerted efforts and manipulations by fans of certain celebrities or cultural phenomena, particularly musicians like [[Lady Gaga]], [[Justin Bieber]], [[Rihanna]] and [[One Direction]], and novel series ''[[Twilight (novel series)|Twilight]]'' and ''[[Harry Potter]]''. Twitter has altered the trend algorithm in the past to prevent manipulation of this type with limited success.<ref>{{cite web |last=Woollaston |first=Vicky |title=Justin Bieber fans beat Twitter 'block' &#124; Web User magazine |url=http://www.webuser.co.uk/news/top-stories/492646/justin-bieber-fans-beat-twitter-block |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122152133/http://www.webuser.co.uk/news/top-stories/492646/justin-bieber-fans-beat-twitter-block |archive-date=November 22, 2012 |access-date=January 20, 2012 |publisher=Webuser.co.uk}}</ref> Twitter also censors trending hashtags that are claimed to be abusive or offensive. Twitter censored the #Thatsafrican<ref>{{cite news |last=Weiner |first=David |date=June 21, 2009 |title=#Thatsafrican – When Twitter Went Racist? |work=Huffington Post |url=https://huffingtonpost.com/david-weiner/thatsafrican----when-twit_b_218673.html |access-date=April 3, 2010}}</ref> and #thingsdarkiessay hashtags after users complained that they found the hashtags offensive.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 5, 2009 |title=Thingsdarkiessay causes a Twitter storm |url=http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/technology/news/thingsdarkiessay-causes-a-twitter-storm-1.909053 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130094002/http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/technology/news/thingsdarkiessay-causes-a-twitter-storm-1.909053 |archive-date=January 30, 2016 |access-date=January 11, 2012 |publisher=[[Independent Online (South Africa)|Independent Online]] |location=South Africa}}</ref>

==== Lists ====
In late 2009, the "Twitter Lists" feature was added, making it possible for users to follow ad hoc lists of users instead of 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>

==== 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}}</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}}</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}}</ref>

=== Algorithm ===
An October 21, 2021, 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 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 23, 2021 |access-date=October 23, 2021|doi-access=free }}</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}}</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—but 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}}
[[File:Twitter Mobile.PNG|right|thumb|The [[Mobile Web|mobile]] version of Twitter<ref>[https://mobile.twitter.com/session/new mobile.twitter.com]</ref>]]
Twitter has 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 |publisher=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]] |publisher=[[Vox Media]] |date=April 6, 2017 |access-date=April 6, 2017}}</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}}</ref>

===Adding and following content===
There are numerous tools for adding content, monitoring content and conversations including Twitter's own [[TweetDeck]], [[Salesforce.com]], [[HootSuite]], and Twitterfeed.com. {{As of|2009}}, fewer than half of tweets posted were posted using the web user interface with most users using third-party applications (based on an analysis of 500&nbsp;million tweets by Sysomos).<ref>{{cite web |date=November 2009 |title=Inside Twitter Clients – An Analysis of 500 Million Tweets |url=http://www.sysomos.com/insidetwitter/clients |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100901070608/http://sysomos.com/insidetwitter/clients |archive-date=September 1, 2010 |access-date=August 23, 2010 |publisher=[[Sysomos]] }}</ref>

=== Twitter Blue ===
On June 3, 2021, Twitter announced a paid subscription service known as Twitter Blue, which provides additional premium features to the service,<ref name=":8" /><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]]}}</ref> which currently include:
* Undo Tweet, which delays the posting of a tweet by up to one minute to allow the submitter to withdraw it before it is posted.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |first=Sarah |last=Perez |title=Twitter launches its premium subscription, Twitter Blue, initially in Canada and Australia|url=https://social.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}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Jon |last=Jackson |date=November 9, 2021 |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/undo-tweet-twitters-new-premium-service-gives-users-much-wanted-feature-for-a-price/ar-AAQvkhP |title='Undo Tweet': Twitter's New Premium Service Gives Users Much-Wanted Feature, for a Price |work=[[Newsweek]] |via=[[MSN]] }}</ref>
* Bookmarks, which allows users to save individual tweets into folders.<ref name=":8" />
* Reader mode, which converts threads of tweets into an article-like view.<ref name=":8" />
* A selection of color themes and app icons for the Twitter mobile app.<ref name=":8" />
* Dedicated customer support.<ref name=":8" />
* [[NFT]] profile pictures, added on January 20, 2022. They are displayed in a hexagon-shaped frame, rather than circular like other profile pictures.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lawler |first1=Richard |title=Twitter brings NFTs to the timeline as hexagon-shaped profile pictures |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/20/22893502/nft-twitter-profile-picture-crypto-wallet-opensea-coinbase-right-click |website=[[The Verge]] |access-date=March 20, 2022 |date=January 20, 2022}}</ref>
* A planned edit feature for tweets was in development as of April 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brodkin |first=Jon |date=April 6, 2022 |title=Twitter plans edit button, says Elon Musk's poll had nothing to do with it |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/04/twitter-plans-edit-button-says-elon-musks-poll-had-nothing-to-do-with-it/ |access-date=April 14, 2022 |website=[[Ars Technica]]}}</ref>
* Customization of the navigation bar.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Roth |first1=Emma |title=Now Android users on Twitter can pay to drop the Spaces button too |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/3/23193650/twitter-blue-android-users-pay-drop-spaces-button |website=[[The Verge]] |date=July 3, 2022 |access-date=July 4, 2022}}</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=":9">{{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}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{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}}</ref><ref name=":11">{{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}}</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}}</ref>

The verification marker was included in a premium tier of Twitter Blue introduced on November 9, 2022, priced at US$7.99.<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 |website=CNN}}</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}}</ref><ref name="Elon Musk’s first big Twitter product paused after fake accounts spread">{{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=Washington Post |date=November 11, 2022}}</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 | accessdate = December 12, 2022 | work = [[NPR]] }}</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}}</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}}</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}}</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 (financial services company)|Square's]] [[Cash App]] and [[PayPal|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 |website=CNBC}}</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}}</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}}</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, [[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}}</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}}</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}}</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://social.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}}</ref>

==Usage==
{{Main articles|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&nbsp;million unique monthly visitors and 55&nbsp;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&nbsp;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}}</ref> Its global user base in 2017 was 328&nbsp;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}}</ref>

===Demographics===
{{update section|date=September 2019}}
{{see also|Black Twitter}}
{{bar box
|width=300px
|title=Twitter.com Top5 Global Markets by Reach (%)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.billhartzer.com/pages/comscore-twitter-latin-america-usage/ |title=comScore Report: Twitter Usage Exploding in Brazil, Indonesia and Venezuela |publisher=Bill Hartzer |date=August 11, 2010 |access-date=May 22, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comscoredatamine.com/2011/02/the-netherlands-leads-global-markets-in-twitter-reach/ |title=The Netherlands lead Global Markets in Twitter.com reach |publisher=Comscoredatamine.com |date=February 10, 2011 |access-date=May 22, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110415055017/http://www.comscoredatamine.com/2011/02/the-netherlands-leads-global-markets-in-twitter-reach/ |archive-date=April 15, 2011 }}</ref>
|titlebar=#dddddddddd
|left1='''Country'''
|right1='''Fraction'''
|float=right
|bars=
{{bar percent 2|Indonesia|Jun.&nbsp;2010|Red|20.8|Dec.&nbsp;2010|Red|19.0}}
{{bar percent 2|Brazil|Jun.&nbsp;2010|Yellow|20.5|Dec.&nbsp;2010|Yellow|21.8}}
{{bar percent 2|Venezuela|Jun.&nbsp;2010|Green|19.0|Dec.&nbsp;2010|Green|21.1}}
{{bar percent 2|Netherlands|Jun.&nbsp;2010|Orange|17.7|Dec.&nbsp;2010|Orange|22.3}}
{{bar percent 2|Japan|Jun.&nbsp;2010|Blue|16.8|Dec.&nbsp;2010|Blue|20.0}}
|caption=<small>Note: Visitor age >15, home and work locations. Excludes visitation from public computers such as Internet cafes or access from mobile phones or PDAs.</small>}}

In 2009, Twitter was mainly used by older adults who might not have used other social sites before Twitter, said Jeremiah Owyang, an industry analyst studying social media. "Adults are just catching up to what teens have been doing for years", he said.<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 }}</ref> According to [[comScore]] only 11% of Twitter's users are aged 12 to 17.<ref name="teensdonttweet" /> comScore attributed this to Twitter's "early adopter period" when the social network first gained popularity in business settings and news outlets attracting primarily older users. However, comScore also stated in 2009 that Twitter had begun to "filter more into the mainstream", and "along with it came a culture of celebrity as [[Shaquille O'Neal|Shaq]], [[Britney Spears]] and [[Ashton Kutcher]] joined the ranks of the Twitterati".<ref>{{Cite news | first=Andrew | last=Lipsman | title=What Ashton vs. CNN Foretold About the Changing Demographics of Twitter | date=September 2, 2009 | url=http://blog.comscore.com/2009/09/changing_demographics_of_twitter.html | work=[[comScore]] | access-date=September 18, 2009 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090907004801/http://blog.comscore.com/2009/09/changing_demographics_of_twitter.html | archive-date=September 7, 2009 | df=mdy-all }}</ref>

According to a study by [[Sysomos]] in June 2009, women make up a slightly larger Twitter demographic than men—53% over 47%. It also stated that 5% of users accounted for 75% of all activity and that New York City has more Twitter users than other cities.<ref>{{cite web|author=Cheng, Alex|author2=Evans, Mark | title=Inside Twitter&nbsp;– An In-Depth Look Inside the Twitter World| date=June 2009| url=http://www.sysomos.com/insidetwitter/|publisher=[[Sysomos]]| access-date=February 23, 2011}}</ref>

According to Quancast, 27 million people in the US used Twitter as of September 3, 2009; 63% of Twitter users are under 35 years old; 60% of Twitter users are Caucasian, but a higher than average (compared to other Internet properties) are 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}}</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}}</ref>

On September 7, 2011, Twitter announced that it had 100&nbsp;million active users logging in at least once a month and 50&nbsp;million active users every day.<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]] }}</ref> On March 31, 2014, Twitter announced that there were 255&nbsp;million monthly active users (MAUs) and 198&nbsp;million mobile MAUs.<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> In 2013, there were over 100&nbsp;million users actively using Twitter daily and about 500&nbsp;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}}</ref> with about 29% of users checking Twitter multiple times a day.<ref>{{cite web |last=Duggan |first=Maeve |date=December 30, 2013 |title=Social Media Update 2013 |url=http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/12/30/social-media-update-2013/ |access-date=June 9, 2014}}</ref>
{{As of|2019||alt=As of Q1 2019}}, Twitter had more than 330 million monthly active users. The majority of Twitter users skew to the American political left.<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] 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], Knight Foundation.</ref><ref name="Twitter" />

In 2012, the country with the most active users on Twitter was the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://semiocast.com/publications/2012_07_30_Twitter_reaches_half_a_billion_accounts_140m_in_the_US|title=Twitter reaches half a billion accounts – More than 140 millions in the U.S.|work=Semiocast|access-date=October 7, 2014|archive-date=October 11, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011193735/http://semiocast.com/publications/2012_07_30_Twitter_reaches_half_a_billion_accounts_140m_in_the_US|url-status=dead}}</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 (36% of 18–29 year olds) generations.<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}}</ref>

A 2019 survey conducted by the [[The Pew Charitable Trusts|Pew Foundation]] found that Twitter users are more likely than the general public to have both a college degree and higher income than the average U.S. adult. Users are also three times as likely to be younger than 50 years old, with the median age of adult U.S. users being 40 years old. The survey found that 10% of users who are most active on Twitter are responsible for 80% of all tweets, focusing mainly on the topics of politics and women.<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}}</ref>

=== Content ===
[[File:Content of Tweets.svg|thumb|Content of tweets according to Pear Analytics
{{legend|#093|News (3.6%)}}
{{legend|#90c|Spam (3.8%)}}
{{legend|#f90|Self-promotion (5.9%)}}
{{legend|#933|Pointless babble (40.1%)}}
{{legend|#1e1edc|Conversational (37.6%)}}
{{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}}</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 |authors=Avery Holton, Kang Baek, Mark Coddington, Yaschur, Carolyn |year=2014 |title=Seeking and Sharing: Motivations for Linking on Twitter |url=https://semanticscholar.org/paper/891aa19e9b46d51fd1a1626cc659a9565041805d |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}}</ref> About 22% of Americans say they have ever 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}}</ref> In 2009, [[Nielsen Online]] reported that Twitter had a user-retention rate of forty percent. Many people stop using the service after a month; therefore the site may potentially reach only about ten percent 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}}</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}}</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 |publisher=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>

== Branding ==
[[File:Twitter 2010 logo - from Commons.svg|thumb|The Twitter logo from September 14, 2010, to June 5, 2012, featuring the silhouette version of "Larry the Bird"]]
Twitter has become 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}}</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}}</ref> This new logo was called simply the "Twitter Bird" and has been used as the company's branding since.<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}}</ref>

==Finances ==
===Revenue sources===
[[File:Twitter Headquarters.jpg|thumb|Twitter's San Francisco headquarters located at 1355 Market Street]]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&nbsp;– 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}}</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}}</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&nbsp;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}}</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}}</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}}</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"]; 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 in order to earn rewards and utilize 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}}</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}}</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}}</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}}</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/how-twitter-tweets-your-tweets-with-open-source-7000003526/|access-date=September 10, 2012|newspaper=[[ZDNet]]|date=August 30, 2012}}</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}}</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}}</ref>{{Needs update|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="raffi">{{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 (software)|Starling]].<ref>{{cite web|access-date=January 11, 2009 |url=http://dev.twitter.com/2008/01/announcing-starling.html |title=Announcing Starling |publisher=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}}</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="raffi" />

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}}</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 (software)|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="raffi" /><ref>{{cite web|title=How Twitter scaled its infrastructure to handle record tweet-per-second days|url=http://gigaom.com/2013/08/16/how-twitter-scaled-it-infrastructure-to-handle-record-tweet-per-second-days/|work=GIGAOM|publisher=GIGAOM|access-date=August 17, 2013|first=Om|last=Malik|date=August 17, 2013}}</ref>

=== API and developer platform ===
Twitter is 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}}</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 |publisher=Apiwiki.twitter.com}}</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 |website=blog.twitter.com}}</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}}</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}}</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}}</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=ComputerWeekly |url=http://www.computerweekly.com/news/1280092587/Twitter-to-launch-URL-shortener-and-may-block-TinyURL-and-bitly |access-date=December 18, 2016}}</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}}</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}}</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 }}</ref>

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

===Innovators patent agreement===
On April 17, 2012, Twitter announced it would implement an "Innovators Patent Agreement" which would obligate Twitter to only use its patents {{cl-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 to not 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 |publisher=Twitter.com}}</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 |publisher=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 |publisher=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>

===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.com|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 language|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> {{As of|2012|August}}, the site available in 33 different languages.<ref>{{cite news | title =Twitter Now Available in Basque, Czech, Greek| date=August 6, 2012|access-date=August 7, 2012| work=PC Magazine | url =https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2408123,00.asp}}</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|website=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&nbsp;– 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 Breached 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 |publisher=[[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 |website=www.brusselstimes.com}}</ref> The information compiled by the hacker includes user's screen names, location and email addresses which could be utilised in [[phishing]] attacks or used to deanonymize accounts running under pseudonyms.

===Outages===
[[File:Failwhale.png|thumb|right|The Twitter fail whale [[error message]]]]

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|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/magazine/15wwln_consumed-t.html?_r=2|title=Consumed&nbsp;&nbsp;– Fail Whale|work=[[The New York Times Magazine]]|page=17|date=February 15, 2009|access-date=February 15, 2009|author-link=Rob Walker (journalist)}}{{Registration required|date=February 2011}}</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&nbsp;– 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 production as the platform was now more stable.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2013/11/qa-with-chris-fry/ |title=Killing the Fail Whale With Twitter's Christopher Fry |magazine=Wired |date= November 25, 2013|access-date=May 4, 2018}}</ref>

Twitter had approximately ninety-eight percent [[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|keynote address]].<ref>{{cite web|access-date=February 23, 2011|url=http://blog.twitter.com/2008/01/macworld.html|title=MacWorld|publisher=Twitter Blog ([[blog]] of Twitter)|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}}</ref>

On January 12, 2023, several [[List of Twitter services and applications|third-party Twitter apps]] (Tweetbot, Echofon, and Twitterrific) stopped working in various ways, leaving developers – and their many users – in the dark about the status of third-party app support.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Mitchell |date=2023-01-13 |title=Some third-party Twitter apps appear to be broken |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/13/23553161/third-party-twitter-clients-apps-outage-twitterific-tweetbot |access-date=2023-01-13 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Schoon |first=Ben |date=2023-01-13 |title=Twitter API appears to be down, breaking Tweetbot and third-party clients |url=https://9to5google.com/2023/01/12/twitter-api-appears-to-be-down-breaking-tweetbot-and-third-party-clients/ |access-date=2023-01-13 |website=9to5Google |language=en-US}}</ref>

==User accounts==
===Verified accounts===
{{main|Twitter verification}}
[[File:Twitter verified account.png|thumb|right|The official Twitter profile of Twitter, Inc. The blue checkmark to the right of the profile name indicates that it is a verified account.]]
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 |website=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=Huffington Post|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=bot: unknown |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 |website=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 Magazine}}</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=":9" /><ref name=":10" /><ref name=":11" /> 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>

===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 &#124; The Classroom &#124; 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 |publisher=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> While Twitter displays no advertising, 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 home 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 |work=[[CNET]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |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 in a statement, "... 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.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=The Huffington Post | 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 |work=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 by the [[Federal Trade Commission]] alongside the United States Department of Justice for collecting users' phone numbers and email addresses for [[two-factor authentication|security]] and then using it for [[targeted advertising]]. Twitter was also required to notify its users and is banned from profiting off of '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 |accessdate=May 27, 2022}}</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|website=blog.twitter.com|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| work=CBS News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.technewsworld.com/story/81442.html?rss=1|title=Twitter Gives Harassed Users a Little Ammo|website=www.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}}</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 [https://itforchange.net/sites/default/files/2132/ITfC-Twitter-Report-Profitable-Provocations.pdf  study] conducted by [https://itforchange.net 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.

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 |publisher=Reason.com}}</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 |work=[[NBC News]]}}</ref>

In September 2021, Twitter began beta testing a feature called Safety Mode.<ref name=":2">{{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}}</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=":2" />

=== 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 of the Communications Decency Act|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|publisher=Vox Media|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" />

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|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=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 or 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". The rioters that broke into US [[Capitol Hill]] included a large amount of QAnon followers.<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 [[Iran]]ian 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}}</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>

{{asof|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>

===Twitter bots===
{{main|Twitter bot}}
A Twitter 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 Twitter 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 Twitter 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, public appeal, 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&nbsp;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==
{{Main|Twitter usage}}
{{Summarize section|date=May 2022}}

=== Usage ===
[[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]]|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|access-date=July 10, 2011}}</ref>]]

==== Protesters ====
Twitter has 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|Stuttgart21 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 is 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>

During the [[Arab Spring]] in early 2011, the number of hashtags mentioning the uprisings in [[Tunisia]] and [[Egypt]] increased.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/americas/september-11/twitters-influence-on-the-arab-spring/article2135272/|title=Twitter's influence on the Arab Spring|date=August 19, 2011|newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]]|access-date=November 20, 2016|archive-date=July 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707174447/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/americas/september-11/twitters-influence-on-the-arab-spring/article2135272/|url-status=dead}}</ref> A study by the [[Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government|Dubai School of Government]] found that only 0.26% of the Egyptian population, 0.1% of the Tunisian population and 0.04% of the Syrian population are active on Twitter.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mashable.com/2012/06/08/arab-world-facebook-twitter/#JKkkUqJb5kqk|title=How the Arab World Uses Facebook and Twitter|last=Fox|first=Zoe|date=June 8, 2012|publisher=[[Mashable]]|access-date=November 20, 2016}}</ref>

Posts on the service often contain far-right content, such as hate speech and conspiracy theories such as [[QAnon]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Palmer |first=Ewan |date=October 12, 2021 |title=QAnon conspiracy theories and hate speech flood Twitter, despite crackdown |url=https://www.newsweek.com/twitter-gab-conspiracy-extremist-links-adl-1637892 |access-date=January 20, 2022 |website=Newsweek}}</ref> Journalists{{which|date=February 2022}} have criticized Twitter for hate speech being easy to find on the platform.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grygiel |first=Jennifer |title=Hate speech is still easy to find on social media |url=http://theconversation.com/hate-speech-is-still-easy-to-find-on-social-media-106020 |access-date=January 20, 2022 |website=The Conversation}}</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]]. In their announcement, Twitter released two data sets detailing the core group's account activity.<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/|website=[[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> [[Geng Shuang]], the spokesperson of the Chinese [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]], did not comment on the suspensions but suggested that the activity could be attributed to [[overseas Chinese]] citizens.<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|newspaper=[[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 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=hurriyetdailynews|date=June 13, 2020}}</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> Twitter issued a statement, calling the police visit "a form of intimidation".<ref>{{cite news |title=Twitter says concerned with India intimidation, requests 3 more months to comply with new IT rules |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/05/27/twitter-says-concerned-with-india-intimidation-requests-3-more-months-to-comply-with-new-it-rules/ |last=Singh |first=Manish |work=TechCrunch |date=May 27, 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> Twitter stated to India's government in August 2021 that they have appointed permanent executives and staff to provide for compliance to these new IT rules.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-06/twitter-says-has-appointed-officials-to-comply-with-india-rules | title = Twitter Says Has Appointed Officials to Comply With India Rules | first = Upmanyu | last = Trivedi | date = August 6, 2021 | access-date= August 6, 2021 | work = [[Bloomberg News]] }}</ref>

In September 2022, a [[Dutch people|Dutch]] town sued Twitter for spreading a conspiracy theory that the town was once home to a ring of Satan-worshipping [[paedophiles]]. False reports that [[Bodegraven-Reeuwijk]] was the place of the abuse and murder of children in the 1980s were first circulated by three men in 2020.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 17, 2022 |title=Twitter sued by Dutch town Bodegraven-Reeuwijk over paedophilia rumour |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62938603 |access-date=September 20, 2022}}</ref>

==== Pornography ====
Twitter refers to pornography as "adult content" and permits it on the platform provided that it is marked "sensitive", and makes it visible to all after a click through.<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 |website=help.twitter.com}}</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> Content filtering services for families and schools have noted that the company makes "it really easy to find" porn, and advise blocking the entire domain.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 16, 2021 |title=Twitter Porn: Here's What Every Parent Needs to Know |url=https://www.bark.us/blog/twitter-porn/ |access-date=April 14, 2022 |website=Bark-US}}</ref>

Twitter is one of the only mainstream sites that allows users to upload sexually explicit photos and videos, in the four years after [[Tumblr#Adult content|Tumblr banned porn]] altogether, in response to the [[Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act]]. 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.

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=":4"/>

==== 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."

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 not prioritized 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.

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=":4">{{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 vs. 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 web |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=www.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=":4" />

Some major brands including Dyson, Mazda, Forbes, and PBS Kids suspended their marketing campaigns and pulled their ads from the platform, after an investigation into child porn on twitter showed that Twitter failed to suspend 70% of the accounts that shared or solicited the prohibited content. A brand president at Cole Haan said, "We're horrified ... either Twitter is going to fix this, or we'll fix it by any means we can, which includes not buying Twitter ads."<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===
====On communication====
In May 2008, ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' wrote that [[social networking service]]s such as Twitter "elicit mixed feelings in the technology-savvy people who have been their [[Diffusion (business)|early adopters]]. Fans say they are a good way to keep in touch with busy friends. But some users are starting to feel ''too'' connected, as they grapple with check-in messages at odd hours, higher [[Mobile phone|cellphone]] bills and the need to tell acquaintances to stop announcing what they're having for dinner."<ref>{{cite news |access-date=February 22, 2011 |url=https://www.wsj.com/public/article/SB117373145818634482-ZwdoPQ0PqPrcFMDHDZLz_P6osnI_20080315.html |title=Friends Swap Twitters, and Frustration&nbsp;– New Real-Time Messaging Services Overwhelm Some Users with Mundane Updates from Friends |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=March 16, 2007 |last=Lavallee |first=Andrew |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150314141935/http://www.wsj.com/public/article/SB117373145818634482-ZwdoPQ0PqPrcFMDHDZLz_P6osnI_20080315.html |archive-date=March 14, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The following year, [[John C. Dvorak]] described Twitter as "the new [[Citizens band radio|CB radio]]".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2351932,00.asp|title=Twitter Is the New CB Radio|first=John C.|last=Dvorak|date=August 25, 2009|magazine=PC Magazine}}</ref><!-- this whole paragraph should be removed & replaced with scholarly analyses; none of this is due -->

====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 bush fires 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 |access-date=November 21, 2016}}</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| date = 2016| page = 1171458| doi=10.1080/23311983.2016.1171458| s2cid = 114999767}}</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>Elavsky, CM, Mislan, C & Elavsky, S (2011). When talking less is more: exploring outcomes of Twitter usage in the large‐lecture hall. ''Learning, Media and Technology'' Volume 36, Issue 3.</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>Junco, R., Heiberger, G., & Loken, E. (2011). [http://blog.reyjunco.com/pdf/JuncoHeibergerLokenTwitterEngagementGrades.pdf "The effect of Twitter on college student engagement and grades"]. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 27(2), 119–132. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120508093835/http://blog.reyjunco.com/pdf/JuncoHeibergerLokenTwitterEngagementGrades.pdf |date=May 8, 2012 }}</ref><ref>Junco, R., Elavsky, C. M., Heiberger, G. (2012). [http://reyjunco.com/wordpress/pdf/JuncoElavskyHeibergerTwitterCollaboration.pdf "Putting Twitter to the test: assessing outcomes for student collaboration, engagement, and success"]. British Journal of Educational Technology. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2012.01284.x {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120114952/http://reyjunco.com/wordpress/pdf/JuncoElavskyHeibergerTwitterCollaboration.pdf |date=January 20, 2013 }}</ref><ref>Ebner, Lienhardt, Rohs, & Meyer (2010). [http://www.cblt.soton.ac.uk/multimedia/PDFs10/micriblogs%20in%20higher%20education%20process%20orientated%20learning.pdf "Microblogs in Higher Education – A chance to facilitate informal and process-oriented learning?"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110626175108/http://www.cblt.soton.ac.uk/multimedia/PDFs10/micriblogs%20in%20higher%20education%20process%20orientated%20learning.pdf |date=June 26, 2011 }} ''Computers & Education'', 55, 92–100.</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=":0">{{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|id={{ERIC|EJ1062476}}}}</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=":0" />

In a 2011 study, researchers found that young peoples use of Twitter helped to improve relationships with teachers, encourage interactive learning, and ultimately lead to high grades.<ref name=":0" /> In the same study it was found that out of a group of 158 educators, 92% agreed that the reason they use Twitter is because of how user friendly it is,<ref name=":0" /> another 86% agreed that they started and continue using Twitter because of how easy it is to learn, and finally,<ref name=":0" /> 93% said they use Twitter because it is free. People found that sifting through large amounts of data is challenging, however, with the simple nature of Twitter large amount of information became easily accessible.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=Greenhow|first1=Christine|last2=Gleason|first2=Benjamin|date=October 3, 2012|title=Twitteracy: Tweeting as a New Literacy Practice|journal=The Educational Forum|volume= 76|issue=4|pages=464–478|doi=10.1080/00131725.2012.709032|s2cid=145800002|url=https://semanticscholar.org/paper/58f577c3809044f30566f4762f40e533e02a62f8}}</ref> Much of this simplicity comes from the use of the hashtag, and the intuitive nature of how Twitter as a microblogging site operates.<ref name=":1" /> These features help to promote education outside the classroom in a global setting where students and educators are easily able to create, connect, and share knowledge. This ultimately promotes growth and learning among students and educators, not just in the classroom, but virtually and around the world.

====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. The book was designed to look like a small bible.<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=[[Wall Street Journal]]|access-date=May 19, 2012|first=Steven|last=Kurutz}}</ref>

During a February 2009 discussion on [[NPR|National Public Radio]]'s<!--it only changed to "npr" in 2010--> ''[[Weekend Edition]]'', the journalist [[Daniel Schorr]] stated that Twitter accounts of events lacked rigorous fact-checking and other editorial improvements. In response, [[Andy Carvin]] gave Schorr two examples of [[breaking news]] stories that played out on Twitter and said users wanted first-hand accounts and sometimes debunked stories.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101265831|title=Welcome to the Twitterverse|publisher=[[NPR|National Public Radio]]<!--it only changed to "npr" in 2010-->|date=February 28, 2009|author=Carvin, Andy|access-date=February 22, 2011|author-link=Andy Carvin}}</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine acknowledged its growing level of influence in its 2010 [[Time 100]]; to determine the influence of people, it used a formula based on famous social networking sites, Twitter and Facebook. The list ranges from [[Barack Obama]] and [[Oprah Winfrey]] to [[Lady Gaga]] and [[Ashton Kutcher]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Vidyarthi, Neil|url=http://www.socialtimes.com/2010/04/time-magazines-social-influence-index-led-by-obama-gaga-kutcher/ |title=Time Magazine's Social Influence Index Led by Obama, Gaga, Kutcher |publisher=socialtimes.com |date=April 30, 2010 |access-date=February 22, 2011}}</ref><ref>[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] on February 28, 2011, described Twitter and other social media as a "strategic weapon ... which have the apparent ability to re-align the social order in real time, with little or no advanced [sic] warning".</ref>

During the [[2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony]], in which he appeared at the [[Olympic Stadium (London)|London Olympic Stadium]] in person,<ref name="Friar">{{cite news |title=Sir Tim Berners-Lee stars in Olympics opening ceremony |first=Karen |last=Friar |url=https://www.zdnet.com/uk/sir-tim-berners-lee-stars-in-olympics-opening-ceremony-7000001744/ |newspaper=ZDNet |date=July 28, 2012 |access-date=July 28, 2012}}</ref> Sir [[Tim Berners-Lee]], the founder of the World Wide Web, tweeted "This is for everyone",<ref>{{cite tweet|number=228960085672599552|user=timberners_lee|first=Tim|last=Berners-Lee|title=This is for everyone #london2012 #oneweb #openingceremony @webfoundation @w3c |access-date=July 28, 2012|date=July 27, 2012}}</ref> which was instantly spelled out in [[LCD]] lights attached to the chairs of the 80,000 people in the audience.<ref name=Friar />

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=":6">{{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=":6" /><ref name=":7">{{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|280px|Donald Trump's Twitter post]]
World leaders and their diplomats have taken note of Twitter's rapid expansion and have been increasingly utilizing [[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&nbsp;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&nbsp;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>

====Religion====
As of October 2015, more than twenty [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|Roman Catholic cardinals]] managed active Twitter accounts,<ref>{{cite web|url = https://sixfortyone.co.uk/list-cardinals-twitter-october-2015/|title = A List of Cardinals on Twitter (October 2015)|publisher = sixfortyone.co.uk|access-date = October 12, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160119175258/https://sixfortyone.co.uk/list-cardinals-twitter-october-2015/|archive-date = January 19, 2016|df = mdy-all}}</ref> nine of whom were [[Cardinal electors for the papal conclave, 2013|cardinal electors]] for the [[2013 Papal conclave]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Tweeting Cardinals Share Pre-Conclave Thoughts|url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2013/03/tweeting-cardinals-share-pre-conclave-thoughts/|access-date=September 24, 2013|newspaper=ABC News|date=March 6, 2013|first=Alyssa|last=Newcomb}}</ref> [[Pope Benedict XVI]]'s Twitter account was set up in 2012. As of April 2022, his successor, [[Pope Francis]], has 18.9&nbsp;million followers of his 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>{{needs update|date=February 2022}}

===Censorship and moderation===
{{Main|Censorship of Twitter|Deplatforming|Twitter suspensions}}
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 |work=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 bases.<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|work=twitter.com}}</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|author=BBC Monitoring|website=BBC News|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 percent 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|publisher=hurriyet|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}}</ref> As part of evidence to a US 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 |publisher= 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 (network)|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=www.vice.com}}</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=":6" /><ref name=":7" /> 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|website=blog.twitter.com}}</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="twitter misinformation" /> 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 |work=Inquirer.net |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>

In November 2022, however, Twitter stopped enforcing its policy on labeling tweets with misleading information about coronavirus. This came in the light of Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter earlier that year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-63796832 | title=Twitter ends Covid misinformation policy under Musk | publisher =BBC News |access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref>

===== Birdwatch =====
[[File:Birdwatch Logo.svg|thumb|alt=Birdwatch|upright=0.5|Logo of Birdwatch, a Twitter program]]
As part of its means to moderate misinformation, Twitter launched its crowd-sourced Birdwatch program in January 2021. Trusted users in the program will have the ability to monitor tweets and replies that may include misinformation and countermessages providing fact-checking as to have Twitter tag these messages appropriately from the Birdwatch community.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/25/22248903/twitter-birdwatch-fact-checking-misinformation | title = Twitter launches Birdwatch, a fact-checking program intended to fight misinformation | first = Kim | last = Lyons | date = January 25, 2021 | access-date = January 25, 2021 | work = [[The Verge]] }}</ref>

In November 2021, Twitter announced an update to the Birdwatch moderation tool, meant to limit the visibility of contributors' identities by creating aliases for their accounts.<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}}</ref> In March 2022, Twitter expanded access to notes made by the Birdwatch moderators, giving a randomized set of US users the ability to view the 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}}</ref><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|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/01/twitter-birdwatch-ukraine-fact-checking-misinfo/|access-date=March 3, 2022|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>

In November 2022, at the request of new owner Elon Musk, Birdwatch was rebranded to Community Notes.<ref>{{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 |access-date=November 15, 2022 |website=Business Insider }}</ref>

=== Court cases and lawsuits ===
''[[Twitter, Inc. v. Taamneh|Twitter Inc. v. Taamneh]]'', alongside ''[[Gonzalez v. Google LLC|Gonzalez v. Google]]'', is currently pending before the [[United States Supreme Court]] during its 2022–2023 term. Both cases deal with Internet content providers and whether they are liable for terrorism-related information posted by their users. In the case of ''Twitter v. Taamnah'', the case asks if Twitter and other social media services are liable for user-generated terrorism content under the [[Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996]] and are beyond their [[Section 230]] protections.

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.com">{{Cite magazine |title=Twitter Agrees to Pay $809.5 Million Settlement in Shareholder Growth Lawsuit |url=https://time.com/6099976/twitter-class-action-lawsuit/ |access-date=November 6, 2022 |magazine=Time }}</ref> In 2021, Twitter agreed to pay $809.5 million to settle.<ref name="time.com"/>

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 target advertisements at them. The company also agreed to third-party audits of its 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 lay-offs, a group of Twitter employees based 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 |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 |website=NBC News}}</ref> The federal law in question is the Work Adjustment and Re
training Notification (WARN) Act, and the state law in question is California’s state WARN Act.<ref>{{Cite web |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 |website=finance.yahoo.com}}</ref>

==Television==
Twitter is used to make [[Social media and television|TV more interactive]], with such use growing in popularity around 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvgenius.net/blog/2011/03/31/shows-viewers-tweeting-operators/ |title=What Shows Are Viewers Tweeting About and What Does this Mean for Operators? |publisher=Tvgenius.net |date=March 31, 2011 |access-date=May 22, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110411012358/http://www.tvgenius.net/blog/2011/03/31/shows-viewers-tweeting-operators/ |archive-date=April 11, 2011 }}</ref> This effect is sometimes referred to as the [[second screen]],<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Hayat|first1=Tsahi|last2=Samuel-Azran|first2=Tal|year=2017|title="You too, Second Screeners?" Second Screeners' Echo Chambers During the 2016 U.S. Elections Primaries|journal=Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media|volume=61|issue=2|pages=291–308|doi=10.1080/08838151.2017.1309417|s2cid=148973729}}</ref> "virtual watercooler" or [[social television]]—the practice has been called "chatterboxing".<ref>[http://news.sky.com/home/technology/article/16189017 "Social Web Makes TV Viewers 'Chatterboxers'"], Sky News, March 15, 2012 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317215524/http://news.sky.com/home/technology/article/16189017 |date=March 17, 2012 }}</ref> Twitter has been successfully used to encourage people to watch live TV events, such as the [[Oscars]], the [[Super Bowl]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.twitter.com/2010/02/super-data.html |title=Twitter Blog: Super Data |publisher=Blog.twitter.com |date=February 10, 2010 |access-date=May 22, 2011}}</ref> and the [[MTV Video Music Award]]s; however this strategy has proven less effective with regularly scheduled TV shows.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvgenius.net/blog/2011/05/25/twitter-drive-tv-live-ratings/ |title=Does Twitter Drive TV Ratings? |publisher=Tvgenius.net |access-date=November 14, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111101040214/http://www.tvgenius.net/blog/2011/05/25/twitter-drive-tv-live-ratings/ |archive-date=November 1, 2011 }}</ref> Such direct cross-promotions have been banned from French television due to regulations against secret advertising.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.france24.com/en/20110606-business-technology-france-regulators-ban-facebook-twitter-promotion-on-tv# |title=France bans Facebook and Twitter promotion on TV |publisher=FRANCE 24 |date=June 6, 2011 |access-date=November 14, 2011}}</ref>

In December 2012, Twitter and Nielsen entered a multi-year agreement to produce social TV ratings, which are expected to be commercially available for the fall 2013 season as the Nielsen Twitter TV Rating.<ref name="Shontell">{{cite web|author=Shontell, Alyson|date=February 4, 2013|title=Twitter Makes Big Acquisition, Buys Social TV Analytics Company Bluefin Labs|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-bluefin-labs-2013-2|website=Business Insider|access-date=February 6, 2013}}</ref> ''[[Advertising Age]]'' said Twitter had become the new ''[[TV Guide]]''.<ref>{{cite news|date=October 23, 2012|title=Twitter Has Become the New TV Guide – Now Can It Offer New TV Rating?|url=http://adage.com/article/digital/twitter-tv-guide-tv-rating/237910/|work=Advertising Age|publisher=Crain|access-date=February 6, 2013}}</ref> Then in February 2013, Twitter acquired [[Bluefin Labs]] for an estimated US$50&nbsp;million to $100&nbsp;million. Founded in 2008 at the [[MIT Media Lab]], Bluefin is a [[data mining|data miner]] whose analysis tells which brands (e.g., TV shows and companies) are chatted about the most in social media.<ref name=Shontell /><ref>{{cite news|author=Stelter, Brian|date=February 5, 2013|title=Twitter Buys Company That Mines Chatter About TV|url=http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/05/twitter-buys-company-that-mines-chatter-about-tv/|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 6, 2013}}</ref> MIT ''[[Technology Review]]'' said that Bluefin gives Twitter part of the US$72&nbsp;billion [[television advertisement|television advertising]] market.<ref>{{cite news|author=Talbot, David|date=February 5, 2013|title=Buying Bluefin Will Give Twitter a Piece of TV's $72 Billion Ad Market|url=http://www.technologyreview.com/news/510811/buying-bluefin-will-give-twitter-a-piece-of-tvs-72-billion-ad-market/|work=MIT Technology Review|access-date=February 6, 2013}}</ref>

In May 2013, it launched [[Twitter Amplify]]—an advertising product for media and consumer brands.<ref>{{cite news|author=Indvik, Lauren|date=May 23, 2013|title=Twitter Amplify Will Bring Sponsored Video Clips to Your Feed|url=http://mashable.com/2013/05/23/twitter-amplify/|work=Mashable|access-date=May 25, 2014}}</ref> With Amplify, Twitter runs video highlights from major live broadcasts, with advertisers' names and messages playing before the clip.<ref>{{cite news|author=Lunden, Ingrid|date=May 23, 2013|title=Twitter Launches TV Ad Targeting, Twitter Amplify For Real-Time Videos In Stream|url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/05/23/twitter-launches-twitter-amplify-for-real-time-videos-in-stream-partnering-with-bbc-fox-fuse-and-weather-channel/|work=TechCrunch|access-date=May 25, 2014}}</ref> In October 2013, Comcast announced that it had partnered with Twitter to implement its "See It" feature within the service, allowing posts promoting programs on selected [[NBCUniversal]] channels to contain direct links to [[TV Everywhere]] streaming to the program. On launch, the concept was limited to NBCUniversal channels and [[Xfinity]] cable television subscribers.<ref name="variety-nbcseeitbutton">{{cite web|title='See It' Button Should Be the Game-Changer Pay TV Desperately Needs|url=https://variety.com/2013/digital/news/new-comcast-twitter-collab-has-makings-of-a-game-changer-1200807027/|website=Variety|access-date=May 12, 2017|date=November 24, 2013}}</ref>

In an attempt to compete with Twitter's leadership in TV, Facebook introduced a number of features in 2013 to drive conversation about TV including hashtags, verified profiles and embeddable posts. It also opened up new data visualization APIs for TV news and other media outlets, enabling them to search for a word and see a firehose of public posts that mention it as well as show how many people mentioned a word in both public and private posts during a set time frame, with a demographic breakdown of the age, gender, and location of these people.<ref>{{cite news|author=Constine, Josh|date=May 21, 2014|title=Facebook Adds Shazam-Style Audio Recognition To Help You Automatically Tag Posts With TV Shows And Songs|url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/05/21/facebook-audio-id/|work=TechCrunch|access-date=May 26, 2014}}</ref> In January 2014, Facebook announced a partnership with UK-based social TV analytics company SecondSync which saw the social network make its social TV available outside the company for the first time. Facebook struck the partnership to help marketers understand how people are using the social network to talk about topics such as TV.<ref>{{cite news|author=Protalinski, Emil|date=January 30, 2014|title=Facebook opens up its social TV data for the first time in partnership with UK analytics firm SecondSync|url=https://thenextweb.com/facebook/2014/01/30/facebook-opens-social-tv-data-first-time-partnership-second-sync-analytics-firm/|work=The Next Web|access-date=June 1, 2014}}</ref> However, Twitter responded by acquiring SecondSync and Parisian social TV firm Mesagraph three months later. These acquisitions, as well as a partnership with research company Kantar (which it had been working with to develop a suite of analytics tools for the British TV industry since August 2013) strengthened Twitter's dominance of the "second screen" – TV viewers using tablets and smartphones to share their TV experience on social media. With the additional analytic tools, Twitter was able to improve the firm's offering to advertisers, allowing them to, for instance, only promote a tweet onto the timelines of users who were watching a certain programme.<ref>{{cite news|author=Hern, Alex|date=April 1, 2014|title=Twitter buys UK 'social TV' firm SecondSync|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/apr/01/twitter-buys-uk-social-tv-firm-secondsync-second-screen-viewing|work=The Guardian|access-date=June 1, 2014}}</ref>

By February 2014, all four major U.S. TV networks had signed up to the Amplify program, bringing a variety of premium TV content onto the social platform in the form of in-tweet real-time video clips.<ref>{{cite news|author=Wasserman, Todd|date=February 27, 2014|title=Twitter Snags the Last of the Major Networks, ABC, for Amplify|url=http://mashable.com/2014/02/27/twitter-amplify-abc-oscars/|work=Mashable|access-date=May 25, 2014}}</ref> In March 2014, [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] became the first major broadcaster in the UK to sign up to Twitter Amplify<ref>{{cite news|author=Plunkett, John|date=March 31, 2014|title=ITV commercial boss warns brands that 90% of content is 'crap'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/mar/31/itv-commercial-boss-warns-brands-content-crap|work=The Guardian|location=London|access-date=April 12, 2014}}</ref> and Twitter introduced one-tap video playback across its mobile apps to further enhance the consumer experience.<ref>{{cite news|author=Summers, Nick|date=March 20, 2014|title=Twitter is testing one-tap video playback across its mobile apps for Amplify partner clips|url=https://thenextweb.com/twitter/2014/03/20/twitter-testing-one-tap-video-playback-across-mobile-apps-amplify-partner-clips/|work=The Next Web|access-date=May 26, 2014}}</ref>

In June 2014, Twitter acquired its Amplify partner in the U.S., SnappyTV.<ref>{{cite news|author=Bradwell, Jason|date=July 2, 2014|title=Why Did Twitter Buy SnappyTV? Grabyo Reaction|url=http://www.vodprofessional.com/features/why-did-twitter-buy-snappytv-grabyo-reaction/|work=VOD Professional|access-date=August 28, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.is/20140828202420/http://www.vodprofessional.com/features/why-did-twitter-buy-snappytv-grabyo-reaction/|archive-date=August 28, 2014}}</ref> In Europe, Twitter's Amplify partner is London-based [[Grabyo]], which has also struck numerous deals with broadcasters and rights holders<ref name="Sawers">{{cite news |author=Sawers, Paul |date=June 19, 2014 |title=Twitter's evolution as a broadcasting platform continues as it acquires live-TV clipping service SnappyTV |work=The Next Web |url=https://thenextweb.com/twitter/2014/06/19/twitter-acquires-live-tv-clipping-platform-snappytv/ |access-date=August 28, 2014}}</ref> to share video content across [[Facebook]] and Twitter.<ref>{{cite news|author=Sawyers, Paul|date=June 10, 2014|title=Wimbledon 'near-live' highlights will be broadcast globally across Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube|url=https://thenextweb.com/media/2014/06/10/grabyo-wimbledon/|work=TNW|access-date=June 12, 2014}}</ref> In July 2017, Twitter announced that it would wind down SnappyTV as a separate company, and integrate its features into the Media Studio suite on Twitter.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/07/25/twitter-confirms-it-is-winding-down-snappytv-shifting-features-to-media-studio/?ncid=rss|title=Twitter confirms it is winding down SnappyTV, shifting features to Media Studio |work=TechCrunch|last=Lunden|first=Ingrid|date=July 25, 2017 |access-date=July 25, 2017}}</ref>

==Statistics==
=== User accounts with large follower base ===
{{Main|List of most-followed Twitter accounts}}
{{as of|2022|11|19}}, the ten Twitter accounts with the most followers were:

{|class="wikitable sortable"
! Rank
! class="unsortable" | Change <br /> (monthly)
! Account name
! Owner
! Followers <br /> (millions)
! Activity
! Country
|-
! align="center" | 1
| align=center | {{unchanged}}
| @BarackObama
| [[Barack Obama]]
| align=center | 133
| data-sort-value="President, former" | 44th [[President of the United States|U.S. president]]
|{{Flag|USA}}
|-
! align="center" | 2
| align=center | {{up}}
| @elonmusk
| [[Elon Musk]]
| align=center | 117
| [[Business magnate]]
|{{Flag|SAF}}<br />{{Flag|CAN}}<br />{{Flag|USA}}
|-
! align="center" | 3
| align=center | {{down}}
| @justinbieber
| [[Justin Bieber]]
| align=center | 113
| [[Musician]]
|{{Flag|CAN}}
|-
! align="center" | 4
| align=center | {{unchanged}}
| @katyperry
| [[Katy Perry]]
| align=center | 108
| [[Musician]]
|{{Flag|USA}}
|-
! align="center" | 5
| align=center | {{unchanged}}
| @rihanna
| [[Rihanna]]
| align=center | 107
| [[Musician]] and [[Businessperson|businesswoman]]
|{{Flag|BAR}}
|-
! align="center" | 6
| align=center | {{unchanged}}
| @Cristiano
|[[Cristiano Ronaldo]]
| align="center" | 104
|[[Association football|Footballer]]
|{{Flag|POR}}
|-
! align="center" | 7
| align=center | {{unchanged}}
| @taylorswift13
| [[Taylor Swift]]
| align=center | 91
| [[Musician]]
|{{Flag|USA}}
|-
! align="center" | 8
| align=center | {{unchanged}}
| @ladygaga
| [[Lady Gaga]]
| align="center" | 84
| [[Musician]] and [[Actor|actress]]
|{{Flag|USA}}
|-
! align="center" | 9
| align=center | {{unchanged}}
| @narendramodi
| [[Narendra Modi]]
| align=center | 84
| [[Prime Minister of India]]
|{{Flag|IND}}
|-
! align="center" | 10
| align=center | {{Up}}
| @YouTube
| [[YouTube]]
| align=center | 77
| [[Online video platform]]
|{{Flag|USA}}
|}

===Record tweets===
{{Main|List of most-retweeted tweets}}
A [[selfie]] orchestrated by [[86th Academy Awards]] host [[Ellen DeGeneres]] during the March 2, 2014, broadcast<ref name="ertw">{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/statuses/440322224407314432|title=If only Bradley's arm was longer. Best photo ever. #oscars|last=DeGeneres|first=Ellen|publisher=Twitter|date=March 2, 2014|access-date=November 15, 2022}}</ref> 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> DeGeneres said she wanted to pay homage to [[Meryl Streep]]'s record 17 Oscar nominations by setting a new record with her, and invited other Oscar celebrities to join them. The resulting photo of twelve celebrities broke the previous retweet record within forty minutes, and was retweeted over 1.8&nbsp;million times in the first hour.<ref name="bbcrt">{{cite news|author=BBC Trending |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-26410106 |title=#BBCtrending: Selfie at Oscars breaks retweet record |publisher=Bbc.com |date=March 3, 2014 |access-date=July 28, 2014|work=BBC News }}</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> By the end of the ceremony it had been retweeted over 2&nbsp;million times.<ref name=bbcrt />  On May 9, 2017, Ellen's record was broken by Carter Wilkerson (@carterjwm) by collecting nearly 3.5&nbsp;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&nbsp;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><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 |work=BBC Online}}</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]]
* [[Twitterature]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== 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|last=Fitton|first=Laura|title=Twitter for Dummies|year=2009|publisher=Wiley Publishing|location=Hoboken, NJ|isbn=9780470479919|author2=Gruen, Michael E.|author3=Poston, Leslie|author4=foreword by Jack Dorsey|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/twitterfordummie00fitt}}
* Tufekci, Zeynep. 2017. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20200530054535/https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300215120/twitter-and-tear-gas Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest]''. [[Yale University Press]].

== External links ==
{{Sister project links|auto=1|wikt=Twitter|d=y}}
{{Scholia|topic}}
* {{Official website|https://twitter.com/|mobile=https://mobile.twitter.com/}}
* {{Onion URL|twitter3e4tixl4xyajtrzo62zg5vztmjuricljdp2c5kshju4avyoid}}
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