AI reduces publisher traffic but not newsroom jobs, study finds Palestinian journalists face a wave of detentions in 2025 Islamabad court sentences journalists in digital terrorism case Global media unite as WAN‑IFRA and FIPP complete merger Pakistan's most embarrassing media moments of 2025 Indian Punjab Journalists Union condemns cybercrime FIRs against media The JournalismPakistan Global Media Brief | Edition 1 | January 2, 2026 now live TikTok becomes top news platform for young Americans Poland urges EU probe into TikTok AI disinformation Pakistani journalist's air conflict reporting tops regional charts AI reduces publisher traffic but not newsroom jobs, study finds Palestinian journalists face a wave of detentions in 2025 Islamabad court sentences journalists in digital terrorism case Global media unite as WAN‑IFRA and FIPP complete merger Pakistan's most embarrassing media moments of 2025 Indian Punjab Journalists Union condemns cybercrime FIRs against media The JournalismPakistan Global Media Brief | Edition 1 | January 2, 2026 now live TikTok becomes top news platform for young Americans Poland urges EU probe into TikTok AI disinformation Pakistani journalist's air conflict reporting tops regional charts
Logo
Janu
Digital Connections

Twitter clocks half-billion users

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 31 July 2012

Join our WhatsApp channel

Twitter clocks half-billion users
Twitter passed the 500 million account mark by the end of June, according to a Semiocast analysis of 517 million accounts. The US leads in users and tweet volume, while Brazil ranks second and Japan third, with Japanese the second most common language.

Over 500 million people are on micro-blogging site Twitter and Americans and Brazilians are the most connected, according to a study by social media monitor Semiocast released Monday.

Twitter surpassed the half-billion mark at the end of June, with the United States accounting for both the most users and largest number of "tweets" or short messages of no more than 140 characters posted on the site.

The Paris-based monitor carried out the study by analyzing data like time zone, geolocation and language available for the social networking site's total 517 million accounts.

The US accounted for more than 141 million of Twitter users, with Brazil ranking second with 41 million after seeing its number rise by 23 percent since the start of the year. Japan came in third with 35 million users.

Americans also posted the highest number of Twitter messages, with 25.8 percent of all tweets hailing from the US.

Japan came second accounting for 10.6 percent of all tweets, making Japanese the second most common language on Twitter after English.

The study found Jakarta to be the most active Twitter zone, with 2.4 percent of all tweets originating in the Indonesian capital.

The popularity of Twitter continued to soar in the Arab world following the site's key role in the "Arab Spring" revolutions last year, with Arabic now the site's sixth most common language.- AFP
 

KEY POINTS:

  • Semiocast analyzed 517 million Twitter accounts using time zone, geolocation and language data.
  • Twitter crossed 500 million accounts by the end of June.
  • The US has over 141 million users and produces 25.8% of all tweets.
  • Brazil has about 41 million users after a 23% rise since the start of the year; Japan has 35 million users.
  • Jakarta is the most active Twitter zone, and Arabic is now the sixth most common Twitter language.

Dive Deeper

Winners of Journalism Awards announced

Winners of Journalism Awards announced

 September 06, 2013: Columbia University announces the 2023 winners of the Maria Moors Cabot Prize, honoring journalists for their work in the Western Hemisphere.

Journalist Jack Germond dies at age 85

Journalist Jack Germond dies at age 85

 August 15, 2013: Jack Germond, a prominent American political journalist, passed away at age 85, leaving behind a legacy in political coverage and analysis.

NBC sportscaster arrested on DUI

NBC sportscaster arrested on DUI

 April 22, 2013: NBC sportscaster Al Michaels was arrested in Santa Monica for DUI after officers observed illegal driving behavior and signs of intoxication.

Journalist to face judge over sources

Journalist to face judge over sources

 April 10, 2013: A Fox News reporter faces a Colorado judge to determine if she must reveal anonymous sources linked to the 2012 Aurora theater shooting.

Producers pay tribute to late TV host

Producers pay tribute to late TV host

 March 11, 2013: Producers mourn the tragic death of Gregory Rodriguez, host of 'A Rifleman's Journal', who was fatally shot in Montana by a jealous husband.

Newsroom
AI reduces publisher traffic but not newsroom jobs, study finds

AI reduces publisher traffic but not newsroom jobs, study finds

 January 02, 2026 A new study finds that generative AI reduced news publisher traffic after mid-2024 but did not trigger widespread newsroom layoffs, reshaping discovery, design, and monetization strategies.


Palestinian journalists face a wave of detentions in 2025

Palestinian journalists face a wave of detentions in 2025

 January 02, 2026 At least 42 Palestinian journalists were detained in 2025, according to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, raising renewed concerns over press freedom and media safety.


Islamabad court sentences journalists in digital terrorism case

Islamabad court sentences journalists in digital terrorism case

 January 02, 2026 An Islamabad anti-terrorism court sentenced journalists and YouTubers to life terms and fines in a digital terrorism case linked to May 9, 2023, unrest.


Global media unite as WAN-IFRA and FIPP complete merger

Global media unite as WAN-IFRA and FIPP complete merger

 January 02, 2026 The World Association of News Publishers and FIPP complete their merger, forming a global alliance of more than 20,000 media brands to boost advocacy, collaboration, and shared industry growth.


Pakistan's most embarrassing media moments of 2025

Pakistan's most embarrassing media moments of 2025

 January 02, 2026 A year-end review of four of the most shameful moments in Pakistani media in 2025, highlighting ethical lapses, political propaganda, on-air violence, and hate speech controversies.


Popular Stories