Twitter tests vanishing tweets to keep up with Snapchat, Facebook
Twitter is testing a new format for disappearing tweets to encourage people to share thoughts they might not put in a permanent posting on the social network.
PHOTO: AFP
PUBLISHED ONMarch 05, 2020 2:00 AM
SAN FRANCISCO - Twitter said on Wednesday (Mar 4) it is testing a way for users to "think aloud" with tweets that vanish after a day instead of having posts linger.
The ability to send ephemeral tweets called "Fleets" is being tried out in Brazil, according to the San Francisco-based social media platform.
If more widely implemented, Twitter would match the disappearing posts first made popular by Snapchat and later adopted by Facebook and other platforms.
"We are experimenting with a new way for you to 'think aloud' on Twitter, with no likes, retweets or public comments," the company said in a message posted from its @TwitterBrasil account.
"The name of this is Fleets. Want to know the best? They disappear after 24 hours."
Twitter product lead Kayvon Beykpour said the new format could encourage people to share thoughts they might not have expressed in a permanent tweet.
"This is a substantial change to Twitter, so we're excited to learn by testing it (starting with the rollout today in Brazil) and seeing how our customers use it," Beykpour tweeted.