Snapchat debuts a Moments competitor called Story Explorer

Story Explorder aggregates data to create feeds around different events and moments

One of Jack Dorseys' biggest moves as CEO of Twitter was the debut of Moments, a feature that is designed to curate content by aggregating Tweets and photos from live events and breaking-news situations. Dorsey called it a "fundamental shift in our thinking," one that is supposed to make Twitter easier to use, and he even hired an editor from the New York Times to run it. 

Now it already has some competition, and from a somewhat unlikely source.

On Monday Snapchat unveiled a new feature called Story Explorer, which essentially aggregated data to create feeds around different things that are happening. All the user has to do is swipe up from a Snap, and they will see other Snaps of that same moment. Sounds pretty similar, eh?

The feature will live within its Live Stories feature, which has content that stays up for a day instead of only seconds, and is location based, as in all of the content will revolve around a singular event. Like a sporting event that those people are attending. Story Explorer is kind of like that, but does not require the person Snapping to be in any specific place.

"Story Explorer relies on technology developed by our research team to provide more depth to every Snap in a Story," the company says.

"It’s the first time you’ll be able to experience that incredible game-winning dunk from thousands of perspectives throughout the stadium - or feel like you’re right there on the scene when breaking news unfolds."

Like Moments, the feature will be made up of content that comes directly from its users. There is one potential difference between the two though. 

Moments are assembled by Twitter's creation team, while some of Twitter's media partners, including Bleacher Report, Buzzfeed, Entertainment Weekly, Fox News, Getty Images, Mashable, MLB, NASA, New York Times, Vogue and the Washington Post, also make their own.

It is unclear who will be curating Story Explorer, or if it is also lining up media partners to help flesh out the feeds.

The reason I said earlier that this was a bit surprising for Snapchat to pull this move isn't because social networks don't steal from each other all the time. Hell, Facebook has tried to create its own Snapchat competitor not once, but twice!

However Snapchat is such a young and upcoming company that I still saw it as more of an innovator than a copier. Maybe this, more than anything else, is a sign that Snapchat really is growing up.

Story Explorer is being launched on the New York and Los Angeles Live Stories as of Monday. The company plans to roll out the technology across many more Stories soon.

VatorNews has reached out to both Twitter and to Snapchat for further comment. We will update this story if we learn more.