Twitter is trying to stop people taking screenshots of tweets

The test could mean more people sign up to Twitter, thereby seeing more ads and promoted content and making the company more profit

(AFP via Getty Images)

Twitter has been testing a new prompt that will ask users to share tweets rather than screenshotting them.

The new test has separate prompts, asking users to either “copy [the] link” or “share [the] tweet”, with the social media company seemingly testing which is more effective.

Twitter would benefit from users sharing links to tweets rather than screenshots. It could mean more people sign up to the social media site – which has significantly fewer users than competitors like Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok – and spend more time on the site, thereby viewing more ads and promoted tweets and making Twitter more money.

However, some users use screenshots to share content to other social media sites or to keep their commentary private. When users share a link to a tweet on Twitter, the user is often notified; by sharing a screenshot, some users are able to comment on content without the original poster being informed.

This can be useful when talking about content from people who could instigate a ‘dogpile’, directing their followers to attack or insult critics.

Screenshots are also vital for posterity, if the user decides to delete the tweet or Twitter itself decides to remove it.

“Millions of Tweets are shared from Twitter to other platforms every day. We want to make Tweets accessible to everyone, even when they leave our platform, and allow others an easy way back to the full conversation on Twitter”, a Twitter spokesperson told The Independent.

“We’re currently testing this new prompt with a small group of people on iOS to let them know there are other ways they can share Tweets with their friends”.

Twitter could be looking for more ways to increase its revenue ahead of a potential purchase by billionaire Elon Musk, who made an $44bn offer for the company in April before rescinding it, and then restating it this month.

Twitter’s revenue reached $1.2bn and daily users increased to 229 million according to reports in April, however it has struggled to find profitability as a public company compared to digital advertising giants Google and Facebook.

The company recently fired 30 per cent of its recruitment team, as well as two high-profile leads.

Moreover, Mr Musk has said that Twitter “does need to get healthy,” implying further job losses. “Right now the costs exceed the revenue”, he added.