Once again, Twitter has come under fire. Rumors circling around in the tech space suggest that the micro-blogging website is ready to call it quits after failing to protect users from "cyber bullying".
Companies such as Facebook are already tackling this issue that has gained the attention of most social media platforms. Hence, the cited reason behind the micro-blogging website’s rumored decision to shut down is hard to digest.
The hashtag #SaveTwitter became the world’s top trend on Thursday morning, showing the panic that the rumor has caused among loyal Twitterati. Users reacted by tweeting about how life would be without being able to express their thoughts in 140 characters.
Woah. #savetwitter http://pic.twitter.com/DZ8Hk60M4f
— Alan White (@aljwhite) August 11, 2016
At the base of this rumor is YouTuber, BradTheLadLong, who has saved all the abuse he faced on the micro-blogging website. According to some, he managed to influence the people in power that the company should pack up and shut down due to its inability to protect users from cyber bullying.
A user named Marshall tweeted: "If Twitter is to be shut down early 2017 just because of cyber bullying, they might as well shut down the whole internet!" Another user named Erika claimed: "Twitter is my oxygen. I can't live without it."
The micro-blogging website has, in fact, taken quite a few steps to tackle the cyber bullying issue. It recently launched a new feature that allows users to flag accounts of other users by attaching their abusive tweets in the report.
In an attempt to verify users’ authenticity, the company introduced an option that allows users to apply for a blue tick, which signifies a verified account. The move was aimed at countering abusive criticism and harassment on the micro-blogging platform.
This is not the first time that Twitter has come under the spotlight for rumors about a possible shutdown. In 2012, a rumor surfaced claiming that the company was ready to shut down because of the censorship laws imposed on it by regulating bodies.
Some tech experts are of the view that the real reason the micro-blogging website finds itself at the center of such vicious rumors is because of a significant drop in revenue. The company has been struggling since quite some time with its monetization efforts.
As we wait for Twitter to respond to these rumors, our fingers are crossed as we pray for the micro-blogging website’s long life. Only time will tell if our beloved 140-character Tweets will be there any more.