The social media platform for six-second videos that Twitter acquired in 2012 was Vine. Vine let users record and share short looping video clips, a format that became one of the early foundations of short-form internet video culture.
Vine was founded in June 2012 by Dom Hofmann, Rus Yusupov, and Colin Kroll. Twitter acquired the company in October 2012, only a few months after its founding, for a reported $30 million. Twitter then developed and released Vine as a mobile app, with the iOS version launching in January 2013.
Vine’s six-second limit encouraged tightly edited jokes, music clips, stop-motion, and recurring catchphrases. Its camera recorded only while the screen was touched, which made quick edits and visual effects easier. Vine was later discontinued as a standalone service in 2017. Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok are common mix-ups, but Twitter’s acquisition in this question specifically refers to Vine.