Ever since Elon Musk took management of Twitter, the social media large has been on a rollercoaster journey of modifications and new options geared toward paying off Musk’s $44 billion funding, together with the shutting down of the free entry to its API beginning February 9. Nonetheless, simply days earlier than the deadline, CEO Musk made a shocking announcement through Twitter, stating that bots will nonetheless have entry to the sunshine, write-only API so long as they produce “good content material.”
You will need to notice that this modification is simply a slight adjustment to Twitter’s transfer to lock its API. Which means that app builders who depend on third-party Twitter purchasers would nonetheless should pay a charge, starting from $99 to $1,899 per 30 days, to make use of what was beforehand a free software. The paid model of Twitter’s API entry may even embrace extra options and broader entry to the interface for varied functions.
Responding to suggestions, Twitter will allow a light-weight, write-only API for bots offering good content material that’s free
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 5, 2023
Dissatisfaction amongst neighborhood and builders
This transfer has sparked a heated debate among the many Twitter neighborhood. As some bots are purely for leisure, whereas others present helpful features comparable to reminders, screenshots, and arranged threads. The excessive charge for primary performance has additionally raised issues amongst builders.
In response to the information, Daniel, the maker of the favored Twitter bot @MakeItAQuote, instructed BuzzFeed in an interview, “It’s a step within the incorrect course, as a lot of the API utilization brings a number of worth to the platform,” he mentioned. “And the truth that even myself, working one of many largest bots on the platform, has to contemplate shutting it down could be very regarding. There are a number of superior, much less in style bots. I don’t assume any of them could be sustainable.”
Regardless of the preliminary issues, Musk’s tweet introduced some reduction to the neighborhood, as many of those bots which might have shut down because of operational prices, might have an opportunity to stay round. Nonetheless, the way forward for bots on Twitter stays unsure, because it’s nonetheless unclear what “good content material” really means and the way it will have an effect on free entry to the Twitter API.