The Library of Congress will soon acquire tweets on a selective basis from 2018 having previously held all tweets that were public.
The Library of Congress revealed in a blog post that its decision to be selective was due to the evolution of the social media landscape, with new platforms, an explosion in use, terms of service and functionality shifting frequently and lessons learned about privacy and other concerns.
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The Library further mentioned in its white paper that it will focus its efforts on preserving the Twitter collection for future generations.
It also wrote: "Throughout its history, the Library has seized opportunities to collect snapshots of unique moments in human history and preserve them for future generations."
In 2010, the Library of Congress announced the acquisition of entire archive of public tweet text beginning with the first tweets of 2006 through 2010, and continuing with all public tweet text going forward. The Library took this step to acquire and preserve a record of knowledge and creativity for Congress and the American people.
