Twitter has introduced a new feature allowing members to apply retro and other filters to their images, replicating Instagram, the popular Facebook-owned photography app which has cut ties with the microblogging network.

The move is part of an effort by Twitter to take more control over its service. It has gradually restricted how much data it shares with outside apps and introduced its own competing versions of them.

The introduction of in-house image filtering software by Twitter was anticipated. Last week Instagram severed a link with Twitter Cards, a system that ensured photographs would be well presented if they were shared on Twitter.