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Disney’s Strategic Layoffs Amid Streaming Growth

In a deliberate move to streamline operations, Disney has announced a new wave of layoffs affecting several hundred employees across its global operations, particularly within its film, television, and finance departments. This decision aligns with the entertainment giant’s strategy to adapt to the evolving media landscape marked by a shift from traditional cable subscriptions to streaming services.

Faced with the growing demand for streamlined digital services, Disney continues to explore efficient business management while nurturing the creativity and innovation that its brand is known for. This announcement follows earlier layoffs in 2023, where approximately 7,000 positions were eliminated as part of CEO Bob Iger’s plan to cut $5.5 billion in costs.

A spokesperson emphasized Disney’s surgical approach to the layoffs, ensuring minimal disruption and confirming that no departments would be completely dissolved. As of now, Disney employs 233,000 individuals worldwide, with nearly 60,000 stationed outside the US.

As a leading player, Disney owns several key entertainment entities, including Marvel, Hulu, and ESPN. The company reported a 7% increase in revenue in early 2025, reaching $23.6 billion, underscored by growing subscriptions to Disney+. Despite mixed box office performances from its new releases like ‘Snow White’, Disney’s ‘Lilo & Stitch’ set new records, reinforcing the company’s resilient market position.

A New Twitter-Inspired Social Network Is Taking Shape

A new social network called Twitter.now is entering the market, with a founding team that includes former Twitter trademark counsel Stephen Coates. The service is being developed by startup Operation Bluebird.

As Ars Technica reported, X sued the company last year and asked a Delaware judge to block the launch. Operation Bluebird argued in a petition that X had abandoned trademarks including “Twitter” and “Tweet.”

Coates has said the project is not an attempt to recreate the original Twitter. In a LinkedIn post, he described the platform as a new public space focused on trust, transparency and user choice.

AI System To Rate Posts

Twitter.now is currently being tested, with early access priced at $20. Its main feature is VERA, an AI system designed to evaluate posts, verify claims and provide sources and context.

Posts receive a trust score, with users eventually able to set a minimum score to filter their feeds. The company says this approach will give people more control over what they see instead of leaving those decisions entirely to an algorithm.

Moderation Remains A Challenge

Scaling moderation will be one of the platform’s biggest tests. Social networks have repeatedly struggled with content moderation as their communities grow, and newer platforms such as Bluesky have faced similar criticism.

Operation Bluebird says VERA will form the basis of its moderation and verification system. A second version is already planned, with expanded tools that would let users set a specific trust threshold for the posts appearing in their feeds.

For now, Twitter.now remains in an early testing phase, combining the familiarity of the Twitter name with an AI-driven approach to evaluating online information.

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