About nine years ago, Instagram made the brave decision to no longer allow previews of its content on Twitter posts. This was before the photo-sharing app was acquired by Facebook, and it may have been purely trivial. At the time, Kevin Systrom, the founder of Instagram, declared that posts on Instagram should not be seen through any other platform. The controversial measure is reportedly coming to an end, and the nine-year debate seems to be quieting down with Instagram announcing it's reintegrating its Twitter card.
The preview will again be visible in the Tweet when an Instagram post is shared. Currently, pasting an Instagram link on Twitter results in no previews or cards popping up. When updated, a card appears below the Instagram link, along with a preview of the image. It's a small change, but it will be a very nice change for those who want to cross-promote content or just share funny photos.
The decision to remove the Twitter card integration from Instagram links has been defended as a way to protect Instagram's growth. At the same time, however, Facebook has undergone several internal reshuffles, and the company is now called Meta. The company has also decided to end its controversial facial recognition technology — people will no longer be automatically identified in Their Facebook photos — and will delete data containing more than a billion facial recognition templates.
Meta seems more committed to respecting privacy (is that a trap?)It also seems to want to work better with competitors. Only time will tell if this strategy can repair its reputation.
A preview of Instagram should already be available on Twitter's web version, as well as on Android and iOS apps. I've tried loading an Instagram link on a Tweet, but I haven't reviewed it yet, so it might take a while for everyone to see the change. However, to improve your chances, make sure your Twitter app is completely up to date.
