Welcome to the Photo Wars.
Instagram on Wednesday disabled the ability for Twitter to properly display Instagram photos on its Web site and in its applications. The move escalates tensions between the two companies, which were once friends in the battle against Facebook but have now become direct competitors.
In a status update on Twitter's Web site, the company said Instagram had disabled its integration with Twitter cards, which are used to display images and content within Twitter messages.
“Users are experiencing issues with viewing Instagram photos on Twitter,†the post said. “This is due to Instagram disabling its Twitter cards integration, and as a result, photos are being displayed using a pre-cards experience.â€
Instagram did not respond to a request for comment.
For now, Instagram photos app ear incorrectly on Twitter, sometimes showing up cropped or off center. It is unclear if Instagram will completely disable the ability for Twitter to show pictures on its Web site.
Photo sharing continues to be a volatile battleground for social networking services, and given the potential advertising dollars at stake, the tensions will likely continue to grow.
Although Instagram and Twitter worked closely together during Instagram's early days, relations between the two companies have soured since the Facebook acquisition.
Now the companies are competing on a number of fronts for consumer eyeballs. Last month Instagram, which had been almost entirely app-based, began rolling out its own Web-centric pages for its 100 million registered users. And Twitter is expected to introduce photo filters to its mobile applications, much like the ones Instagram offers.
When the Facebook acquisition of Instagram closed, Instagram said in a blog post that the deal “means we can now work together to evolve and build a better Instagram for everyone.â€
It looks like “everyone†doesn't include Twitter.
