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Photos, Videos Soon Won't Count Against Twitter Character Limit

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Twitter is giving users more room to express themselves.

In coming months, photos, videos and other media won't count against what is now a 140-character limit. That means more wordy tweets are on the way.

The change, announced Tuesday, is yet another attempt by the San Francisco company to make its messaging service easier to use and to attract new users.

Twitter had been brainstorming character limit changes in the past year but has conveyed they still want to keep the concise nature of the social media platform.

Users may be encouraged to use more photos and links in their tweets with the character limit change, Bloomberg Technology reported last week.

Twitter Inc. has struggled for years to find a cure for slow user growth. The number of people using Twitter is less than one fifth those actively using its rival, Facebook.

Last year, it launched a channel called "Moments'' that brings together hot topics in one place. And earlier this year, it tweaked its timeline to show tweets that users may have missed while they were away.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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