Twitter announced that it will terminate Vine, its video sharing service. It has been almost four years since social media users started using Vine, and the video service has apparently reached its end.
Engadget reported that online users can still watch and download existing Vines, but they can no longer upload new clips. When Vine launched in January 2013, it quickly garnered the interest of social media users.
Vine allowed users to conveniently record and upload six-second clips. Twitter integrated Vine into its feeds with very good results. However, the arrival of new video services like Snapchat and Instagram has put a toll on Vine, ultimately compelling Twitter to get rid of it and focus on its new business strategy - live news.
Team Twitter and Vine stated on Medium that they will discontinue the mobile app. The clarified that nothing will happen to existing Vines, and apps and websites that already have these.
Users can still access and download current Vines, and they will keep the website available. They thanked all the creators and users who contributed and used the apps since 2013. They added that they will be collaborating closely with creators to answer questions and will keep users informed if they introduce any changes.
One of the main reasons that Twitter is axing Vine is its stagnancy. The company plans to lay off 350 employees and restructure to become profitable in 2017. Twitter makes money but never turned a profit. User growth has also stayed the same for a while.
In 2016, Twitter went through many challenges such as the departure of its executives, harassment issues and clashing toxic users. Vine, in the meantime, was deteriorating against Snapchat and Instagram. The latter two video platforms allowed longer recording times and less pressure to be original and funny.
At present, Twitter is still trying to re-establish itself, hopefully in live news and entertainment. CEO Jack Dorsey emphasized that Twitter was a place for news and conversation and that it was the people's news network. In that case, Vine turned out to be no longer necessary. More updates and details are expected soon.
