“Twitter.new” has begun accepting reservations for user handles ahead of its planned launch late next year, drawing significant public attention. As X, formerly Twitter, continues its brand transition, the emergence of this new SNS—appearing to target the gap created in that process—symbolizes a broader structural shift in the social media landscape.
The project is being promoted by a Virginia-based startup operating under the name “Operation Bluebird.” The company argues that X has become ambiguous in its handling of the trademarks “Twitter” and “tweet,” and has filed a petition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office requesting their cancellation. If the petition is granted, the company intends to officially adopt the name “Twitter.new” and enter the market as a new social networking service.
The company has already acquired the domain “twitter.new,” and reservations for user handles are now open. With more than 120,000 reservations submitted, the strength of the original brand’s influence is readily apparent. However, the company notes that “the requested handle is not guaranteed to be assigned,” suggesting that the current process is positioned strictly as an advance reservation.
User reactions, however, are mixed. Many people continue to hope that X will return to being Twitter, and some worry that the emergence of a new “Twitter-like” service may only deepen the confusion. In particular, a number of users express concern about the lack of clarity surrounding the operating company behind this initiative.
SNS platforms grow through an interplay of brand and culture. In this sense, many users have strong emotional attachments to the name “Twitter,” but inheriting the name does not automatically equate to inheriting the community itself. Even if the trademark cancellation is approved and Twitter.new officially launches, it remains uncertain whether it can restore the “atmosphere” users nostalgically associate with the former Twitter.
This development is not merely about launching a new SNS; it highlights the symbolic power of brands, the cultural fabric built by users, and the inherent difficulty of sustaining or transferring that culture. How X’s brand strategy will evolve, and where the name “Twitter” will ultimately reside, may represent a major turning point in the history of social networking services.
As the evolution of SNS platforms intersects with the redefinition of brands, it will be important to watch how “Twitter.new” positions itself in this shifting landscape.