Twitter has given more information about upcoming changes to its API that will require most developers to pay to keep using its developer tools. This comes one week after the microblogging site announced that it would be ending free API access.
The company recently announced “a new form of free access” that will enable “Tweet creation of up to 1,500 Tweets per month.” With this clarification in place, many of the so-called “good” bots on Twitter, which tweet things like historical photos and helpful reminders, will be able to stay on the site.
Many bot developers have previously stated that they will not pay for API access, threatening the long-term viability of these accounts. In spite of this, the 1,500 monthly limit on tweet creation may still have an effect on the most prolific bots. When broken down, 1,500 tweets per month is about 50 tweets per day, which could be a problem for the most active bots on Twitter.
Furthermore, the firm announced that the current version of the API would be maintained until February 13th, giving developers a brief reprieve. After that date, Twitter says it will charge $100 per month from developers who use the “paid basic” tier of its API. The Premium API will be discontinued, and the company has assured its customers that upgrading to the Enterprise plan is an option.
It is still unclear what, if any, future options will be made available to researchers who are presently utilising Twitter’s developer tools.
Twitter’s API (Application Programming Interface) provides a means for developers outside of the company to access and study public Twitter data for use in their own client software and bots (such as Pikaso, Thread Reader, and RemindMe OfThis).
Twitter currently offers free, capped access to its API, as well as premium, scalable tiers for developers who need to remove API limits and gain access to more business-oriented tools.
Yesterday saw a major outage on Twitter
Many people have speculated that Twitter could ‘someday’ stop working following Elon Musk’s inability to manage things since he became the new owner of the company.
And quite frankly this happened yesterday as significant number of Twitter users were unable to tweet, send direct messages, or even use Tweetdeck.
Users first noticed the problem when they started getting an error message reading “you are over the daily limit for sending Tweets.” Some had to use the app’s scheduling feature and wait patiently as it kept on rolling.
Users are once again able to send tweets now that the platform has stabilised to some degree, but this comes with some significant caveats.
No news yet as to what cause the outage. However, a report from The Information suggests the it occurred just hours before Twitter was scheduled to roll out changes to its API. “Please pause for now on new feature development in favor of maximizing system stability and robustness, especially with the Super Bowl coming up,” Musk wrote to employees in an email reviewed by The Information.
