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Twitter considers video-hosting service, report says

The company has been bringing more features in house, including a recent effort to restrict third-party photo services.

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Shara Tibken Former managing editor
Shara Tibken was a managing editor at CNET News, overseeing a team covering tech policy, EU tech, mobile and the digital divide. She previously covered mobile as a senior reporter at CNET and also wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. Shara is a native Midwesterner who still prefers "pop" over "soda."
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Shara Tibken
Twitter's new mobile apps locked out third-party photo services. Twitter
The video-hosting business may soon get a little more crowded.

Twitter is mulling creating its own technology that allows users to upload video directly via its mobile apps, instead of through hosting services like yFrog, TwitVid and Vodpod, according to a report from All Things Digital.

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The site says "the switch would be a way of further refining Twitter's consistency and user experience, better shaping how users encounter Twitter content." AllThingD said the change isn't yet certain, and Twitter still expects most users to post video clips using sites like YouTube, Hulu, and Vimeo.

The switch would be latest move by Twitter to bring more of its services in house. The company has been making a push in recent months to limit users' third-party options, both by acquiring popular apps like TweetDeck and by locking out services like TwitPic. Twitter's new "mobile first" strategy, unveiled last month, quietly moved photo hosting in house, rather than offering it through third parties.

The company has justified its actions by saying it's focusing on a "consistent experience." It also has noted it wants to gain more control over the advertising dollars generated by the service.