#RIPTwitter is trending on the platform, alongside #TwitterDown and “Apparently Twitter,” with so many people plugging their other social media channels. Still, at the time of writing, Twitter is very much alive—but might be hanging on by a thread.
The BBC reports that Twitter has told employees that the company’s office buildings will be temporarily closed, effective immediately. The broadcaster has seen a message where workers were told that the offices would reopen on Monday, November 21. No reason has been given for the office shutting, but for a platform that needs near-constant content moderation, this can’t be good news.
The announcement follows a flurry of difficulties for the social media platform after Elon Musk’s takeover, with large numbers of staff quitting after Musk called on them to sign up for “long hours at high intensity”—or leave.
Earlier this month, the company announced plans to cut around 50% of its workforce, but today’s announcement suggests that large numbers of workers have now also resigned rather than accept Musk’s new terms, forcing the offices to close.
Former employees have been using the hashtag #LoveWhereYouWorked and a saluting emoji to show they were leaving the firm, mapping the mass exodus from Twitter. According to an anonymous employee speaking to the BBC, less than 2,000 people are estimated to remain in the company, down from around 7,500.
Is Twitter shutting down?
For right now, no. For tomorrow? It’s anyone’s guess.
Neither Twitter as a company nor Musk himself has publicly addressed the rumors that Twitter could be on its way out and, realistically, there’s no way of knowing until we suddenly can’t access it anymore.
If it does go down though, communities all around the world will lose their spaces to share vital news and updates. For all its flaws, Twitter has been a hub for people to connect when they need it most, from war-torn countries to natural disasters. It will truly be a loss to the internet.
Even now, it’s the gift that keeps on giving with people’s on-Twitter reactions to the expected fall of the platform. Here are a few of our favorites.
(featured image: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
