SAN FRANCISCO: The Twitter Spaces team, responsible for the platform’s live audio conversations feature, has reportedly been reduced to only three employees from its previous count of around 100.
The downsizing comes after a technical “fiasco” occurred during Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ announcement of his 2024 US presidential election bid on the platform this week. The incident drew attention globally and raised concerns about Twitter’s ability to handle large-scale events.
Institutional Knowledge of Twitter Spaces Team
According to reports, the Spaces team has been operating without most of the “institutional knowledge” it had gathered since Twitter introduced live audio conversations in 2021 to compete with the then-popular Clubhouse app.
The team’s diminished size has led to a lack of expertise in the current architecture, causing difficulties in addressing technical issues effectively.
Glitch During DeSantis’ Presidential Bid Announcement
During Governor DeSantis’ announcement, a technical glitch occurred, delaying the start of the event. It took nearly 20 minutes to resolve the issue, during which DeSantis was finally able to make his presidential bid announcement.
Elon Musk and tech entrepreneur David Sacks, who were involved in the event, acknowledged that Twitter’s servers’ limited capacity contributed to the challenges faced in initiating the live audio session. Sacks expressed appreciation to the Twitter team for quickly adapting to the situation and allowing the historic event to proceed.
Twitter CEO’s Response
Twitter CEO, in response to the technical “fiasco,” considered it the “top story on earth” and welcomed all US presidential candidates to use the platform for their announcements. The incident highlighted the need for Twitter to address its technical infrastructure and ensure its ability to handle large-scale events seamlessly.
The reduction of the Twitter Spaces team to only three employees raises concerns about the platform’s capacity to support and maintain its live audio conversations feature. The technical challenges experienced during Governor Ron DeSantis’ presidential bid announcement emphasized the importance of having a knowledgeable team to handle such events. As Twitter continues to evolve and compete in the social media landscape, it will need to address these technical shortcomings to ensure a seamless user experience and maintain its position as a platform for significant public announcements.
