Twitter expands message length and adds formatting options, sparking debate about access and moderation in Russia
Recent reports from TASS, citing a social media post, indicate that Twitter has significantly extended the allowable text length and introduced new formatting features for posts. The platform now permits messages reaching up to 10,000 characters, and users may apply bold or italic styling to their text, a capability that appears to be rolling out alongside a growing set of features for Twitter Blue subscribers.
The development follows a prior change that increased tweet length beyond the traditional 280 characters, with some updates describing a stretch to as many as 4,000 characters in length. These adjustments reflect Twitter’s ongoing experiments with how users compose and consume longer, more richly formatted messages, particularly among paid subscribers who gain access to enhanced formatting and other premium tools.
In the same period, a separate political thread emerged in Russia as deputies from all five factions of the State Duma signed a public appeal directed to the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, Igor Krasnov. The letter urged consideration of unblocking Twitter within Russia, arguing that a moderated and clearly defined approach could reconcile access with compliance. The signatories suggested that if the platform aligns with Russian laws, materials that breach those laws should be removed to enable continued operation in the country.
Observers note that the timing coincides with perceived shifts in the platform’s policy stance following Elon Musk’s takeover, which has coincided with various changes in content moderation and platform governance. The parliamentary appeal stresses the need for a proportional response that safeguards state interests while allowing residents and visitors to engage with public discourse online. The appeal also signals a willingness to work with platform administrators to identify content that violates legal provisions and to enforce removal where appropriate, rather than pursuing a blanket shutdown.
Analysts point out that the dynamic between global social networks and national regulators remains tense in many regions, including Russia. The evolving rule set around long-form posts, formatting, and access to the service could influence both user behavior and policy considerations as authorities weigh the balance between freedom of expression and legal compliance. The discussion underscores how decisions made by platform owners, combined with national legal frameworks, can shape the degree of online participation available to users in the region. Citations: details reported by TASS and corroborating commentary from policymakers and industry observers.