Wait…Twitter Is Earning Money?

By Geoff Duncan December 22, 2009

thumb-twitter-tweet — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Microblogging service Twitter is one of those things on the Internet that’s mostly famous for being famous, not because it’s somehow discovered the key to Internet riches. Twitter’s 140-characters-at-a-time service has certainly captured a lot of attention and users’ imaginations, but it’s never had a clear business model: the company does not run advertising, does not charge for use of the service, doesn’t offer premium add-ons, and doesn’t sell any products.

Yet, BusinessWeek is reporting that Twitter may actually be in a position to post a profit for 2009, thanks to search deals it struck with Google and Microsoft’s Bing search service. So-called “real-time search”—which covers up-to-the-minute information that people are posting to places like Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking services—became a hot-button differentiator for search engines in 2009, and Twitter seems to have been able to cash in on those deals. According to BusinessWeek, Twitter will pull in about $15 million from Google and another $10 million from Microsoft for letting the services access and index public Twitter feeds. And although Twitter doesn’t publish its operating expenses, BusinessWeek estimates them to be in the range of $20 to $25 million, thanks in part to renegotiated deals with Internet and telecommunications providers.

The bottom line may mean Twitter is in the black for 2009…and it still doesn’t have a real business plan. Twitter has previously announced intentions to develop paid-for premium accounts and services, but so far no announcements have been made.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Twitter

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Social Media

What is Mastodon? Here’s why everyone’s talking about this Twitter alternative

Series of four mobile screenshots showing Mastodon's sign-up process.

By now you've no doubt heard about Mastodon. It's a social media platform that's been bandied about as an alternative to Twitter, particularly among users who aren't comfortable with the direction Twitter is going in now that Elon Musk is at the helm.

In fact, since Musk first announced that he was planning on buying the popular microblogging platform, Mastodon has garnered quite a bit of attention and experienced significant growth. But though you've likely heard about Mastodon, you may not be familiar with how it works or haven't decided whether or not it would be a good fit for you if you ever choose to leave Twitter and need an alternative social media platform. Don't worry. We've got you covered. In this guide, we'll get you up to speed on everything you need to know about social media's buzziest new platform.
What is Mastodon?

Social Media

Twitter’s SMS two-factor authentication is having issues. Here’s how to switch methods

A person's hands holding a smartphone as they browse Twitter on it.

It might be a good idea to review and change your two-factor authentication options for Twitter. Elon Musk's Twitter has another issue for its users to worry about.

Twitter has reportedly been having issues with its SMS two-factor authentication feature (2FA). According to Wired, beginning as early as this past weekend, some Twitter users have reported difficulties logging in to their Twitter accounts due to the app's SMS 2FA feature not working properly. Essentially, the feature relies on the app sending users an authentication code via text message, which they can then enter as a second step in the login process.

Mobile

How to use Mastodon: create your account, join servers, and more

Mastodon app listed on the App Store.

The drama over at Twitter, both from a business as well as user experience perspective, is truly one of a kind. Elon Musk is making changes that not all users will appreciate, and his cavalier attitude towards content isn't winning him many free-speech-absolutist fans like him. Naturally, a lot of Twitter users are looking for alternatives, and one option that has really skyrocketed in popularity lately is Mastodon.

Mastodon is decentralized, which means the platform is not limited to a single server controlled by one large corporation, like Twitter or Facebook. Instead, any person can create their own Mastodon server, which is commonly known as an instance, complete with its own set of rules. That means you set the guidelines for a Mastodon server, and there is no ad serving or data harvesting happening here.