Elon Musk Admits X ‘May Fail’ After Glitch Deletes Twitter Photos – Elon Musk, the individual who possesses the app formerly referred to as Twitter, has mentioned that the social media platform could encounter failure due to a glitch that resulted in the removal of images posted prior to December 2014. In a post on the site, renamed X, Musk said: “The sad truth is that there are no great ‘social networks’ right now.”
He added: “We may fail, as so many have predicted, but we will try our best to make there be at least one.” During the weekend, a technical issue occurred on the platform, causing the removal of images and links from posts created prior to December 2014. These posts displayed broken links instead of the previously included pictures and videos. Numerous users observed this glitch, and technologist Tom Coates was among those who highlighted it.
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Coates referred to the situation as “significant tampering by Musk” and speculated that it might be aimed at reducing expenses. Even Ellen DeGeneres’ renowned Oscars selfie from 2014 faced removal initially, but it was later reinstated. This photograph became the platform’s most widely retweeted image, garnering over 2 million shares. Notably, the viral tweet by former US president Barack Obama following his 2012 election victory remained unaffected by the glitch.
Certain users theorized that the glitch might have arisen as a cost-cutting measure for storage data, whereas others connected it to alterations implemented on the platform in 2016. These changes introduced “enhanced URL enrichment,” aimed at displaying previews for linked web content and attachments beyond the platform’s initial 140-character limit.
This information was reported by The Verge. The malfunction emerged following recent reports indicating a slowdown in accessibility from X to various other social media platforms, including Meta’s Facebook, Threads, and Instagram. Additionally, a five-second delay was also observed for links to specific news websites like the New York Times and Reuters.
Following Musk’s acquisition, Twitter has undergone significant workforce reductions, with a substantial decrease in the number of employees since November. Despite the vigorous cost-cutting measures undertaken by the CEO of Tesla since assuming control, revenue challenges have posed difficulties. In the previous month, a 50% decline in advertising revenue was reported, coupled with a substantial debt burden.
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As a consequence of the debt incurred in last October’s $44 billion privatization deal, the platform is burdened with annual interest payments totaling $1.5 billion. The Wall Street Journal has indicated that the social media company is also facing legal claims exceeding $14 million in unpaid invoices since Musk assumed leadership.
