If you’re an active user of Twitter, you know that everyone uses the micro-blogging platform — even the President of the United States. It turns out that those 140 characters have major impact on the web.

The impact of those 140 characters — which is less than the 160 characters allowed for text messaging — is so major that prosecutors can subpoena users if they believe it will help prove their case; for example, George Zimmerman’s defense team has acquired permission to acquire Trayvon Martin’s Twitter account, amongst other things. In addition to being used in the courtroom, the micro-blogging platform is used in the field of sports also. Greek athlete Voula Papachristou was banned from the 2012 Olympic Games after posting an offensive remark on the site.

Twitter CEO Dick Costolo revealed to an audience in London that Twitter now processes half a billion tweets per day, according to a published report. He also confirmed recent reports that Twitter is testing out “like” and star buttons to potentially replace the “favorite” tool the service has used for years. Until now, the company had declined to comment on the issue. And it did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Costolo’s reported remarks in London.

– Techyville