Instagram Battles Twitter Head-on; Axes Feature

As Instagram continues to grow as one of the largest social media platforms online, it has recently made a drastic move by removing the Twitter card integration, a feature on the social micro-blogging site. Twitter users might encounter a number of problems whenever they view Instagram photos on Twitter. Images will look as if these were cropped. The reason is to funnel more users to Instagram?s own website. The move shows that #Instagram is ready to battle it out with the social media giant with the hopes of making huge amounts of income from advertisements and other online activities, like what Twitter now enjoys. Twitter activity on the hashtag #Instagram increased from the usual volume when the news broke out. Before, pictures on Instagram that are shared in tweets from smartphones can be viewed on Twitter. Instagram is owned by Facebook, although it established its roots and increased in popularity with Twitter?s help. The acquisition by Facebook was made in September 2012 at a reported price of $1 billion; the actual value was considerably lower due to Facebook?s lowered share price at the time. Instagram gained a reputation of making photos the focal point of online sharing. Mobile devices such as Android phones and the iPhone had cameras that made it easier for people to get involved in the action. People could take photos of themselves or anything they come across then immediately upload and share these online. Majority of those who owned an iPhone primarily used Instagram. The growth of Instagram was surprising to many Internet experts since they did not plan photo sharing to become an integral activity that would be intensely used by others online. Using the social media platforms, online users can follow other users and talk about shared pictures. It was a unique form of self-expression that catapulted Instagram to becoming one of the biggest websites at present. Removing the Twitter card integration feature indicates how prepared it is to gain a bigger following in the months to come. Do you think axing its Twitter feature is a good move for Instagram? Let us know what you think in the comments!