Twitter is working on a new type of hashtag that isn't clickable, changing the way the feature works for the first time.
Hashtags have long been a part of the way Twitter works, allowing people to click or tap them and then see all tweets that include that same tag. But that could be about to change, with researcher Jane Manchun Wong having discovered that Twitter is "working on an experiment" that would make those hashtags behave as any other text - rendering them unclickable in the process.
Twitter is working on an experiment where #hashtags are no longer clickable links
â€" Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) October 10, 2022
(unless the Tweet contains Branded Hashtags like #OneTeam and #Periscope that brands pay to add an icon next to hashtags for a while to promote stuff)
Not sure what this is for… pic.twitter.com/DdcYyDVaNM
The reasons why Twitter could be working on this change aren't clear, but there might be a clue in a further discovery made by the same researcher. According to them, tweets that include branded hashtags would remain clickable, possibly opening the door for Twitter to monetise them in a way that isn't currently in place.
Unfortunately, that could change the way many people use Twitter to find discussions surrounding a particular subject or event. That's surely something Twitter is pondering while conducting this so-called experiment. With the pending sale to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, it's possible Twitter will look to make money wherever possible in the future.
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