Longtime users of Twitter, now known as X after Elon Musk bought it last year, are in a panic because it appears to have deleted all the pictures uploaded between 2011 and 2014. Additionally broken are the URLs that made use of Twitter’s own URL shortener. Although the cause of this widespread loss is still unknown, many people are concerned about losing their memories and data.
The Downfall of TwitPic
According to a Forbes article, Tom Coates, users of Twitter who joined in 2007, tweeted about the problem on Saturday. The new URL that Twitter creates to track user activity appears to be connected to the issue. This domain is used by Twitter for link-shortening. The photos and links are allegedly disappearing since this domain isn’t working properly.
Before, users of Twitter had to rely on third-party services like TwitPic to share photographs. In 2011, Twitter began to accept native image uploads. However, TwitPic ceased operations in 2014, and a lot of the pictures from that time have already vanished. Currently, it appears that even the photos that were directly posted to Twitter between 2011 and 2014 are in danger because they are no longer accessible on the website.
Some members on Reddit’s data preservation-focused Datahoarder community have hypothesised that Twitter may be attempting to move the website to X.com, a name that Musk has long owned. But there is no official confirmation from Twitter, so this is simply a hunch. Another hypothesis is that Twitter may be trying to cut costs on picture hosting fees, but once more, no one from Twitter has confirmed this.
X Deletes Photos Posted Between 2011-2014 | Xpeng Q2 Misses Estimates | Global News
No more Blocking?
In another development, Elon Musk declared on Twitter on Friday that he will eliminate the platform’s block feature, which allows users to stop certain accounts from engaging with them or reading their messages. He acquired the business last year and has subsequently implemented some contentious adjustments.
The mute tool is still available to users of Twitter, which hides certain accounts from their view but does not alert them to the change. Only direct messages will be able to use this feature, not public posts, according to Musk.
Although Musk declares to be a proponent of free speech, his detractors allege he is not accepting responsibility for the material posted on his platform. Since he took charge, some studies have indicated a spike in antisemitism and hate speech on Twitter. Additionally, the corporation has been charged by other governments with improperly moderating its material.
