Photos are big business online. Images have long been the most shared content on social, Pinterest is the fastest growing platform on the planet while Instagram is gearing up to launch ads. 

While Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest traditionally rule the photo roost, new updates from Twitter and Google show the battle is heating up for the eyeballs and wallets of social snappers.

Twitter's new image

Twitter has had a chequered history with photos. In December 2012 the platform pulled support for Twitter Cards, meaning users could no longer automatically update images from Instagram to their Twitter account.

Twitter backed this up by releasing their own suite of photo filters which beared more than a passing resemblance to Instagram's. 

Twitter is now catching up and allows users to include previews of images and videos in their tweets. This means photos and videos now appear in the timeline automatically, with users no longer having to click-to-expand.

But the real kicker is that the update only applies to images or videos that originate within Twitter's eco-system. For example, images hosted on pic.twitter.com or Vine videos. In other words, Twitter's saying if you want more engagement you have to live in our playground. 

Google+

Google+ has been an early innovator when it comes to image management. The platform already allows users to automatically upload all their mobile photos and select the best ones.

Now G+ will auto enhance and select the 'best' pictures based on light levels and the detection of people smiling. As a bonus iOS users can now upload picture in high definition. 

Photo finish

These update all signal that the social platforms want to be the place users post and consume photos online. And increasingly they only want users to create and consume in their eco-system.

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