On one fine January morning this year, all third-party Twitter clients reliant on the platform’s API stopped dead in their tracks. It looked like anaccidental change at that time, but the company soon clarified that the shutdown isvery much intentionaland here to stay. The company cited violations of long-standing rules regarding API utilization, but suspiciouslyamended related developer-facing documentsafterannouncing the shutdown. Now, the platform has revealed an ambitious plan to monetize access to the Twitter API and its data.
In aseries of tweets, the Twitter Developer account clarified that free access to v1.1 and v2 of theTwitter APIswill be a thing of the past as of February 9. The thread cited the sheer volume of Tweets sent out and Twitter’s significance as a powerful dataset for researchers and bean counters as reasons to monetize API access. The amended Developer Agreement still forbids the resurgence of third-party Twitter clients like Twitterrific and Tweetbot.
However, these weren’t the only developers accessing the API. Some users see the platform as a fun place to be, thanks partly to the drama following Elon Musk’s acquisition, but also to cleverly formulated bot accounts sending out automated tweets likePépito,Year Progress, andEvery SpongeBob Frame in Order. These accounts were allowed 250 requests every month, and 100 tweets per request without charge, all enabled by Twitter’s free-until-now API. With access ending in less than a week, the platform will certainly lose some of its frivolity.
Twitter has a premium package available with liberal request limits and monthly prices ranging from $150 to $2,500, but an exact dollar figure for the new “basic” API access plan hasn’t been revealed yet.
Some of the owners of these automated accounts announced their inability to continue posting while some others reached out to the self-proclaimed Chief Twit. Musk responded to Pépito’s owner, but seemed doubtful and lacked a clear plan that could allow these bot accounts to thrive.
Since Musk’s highly-leveraged $44 billion takeover bid, Twitter has essentially been on self-imposed receivership, cutting costs and doing anything it can to raise revenue. Besides existing paid features likeTwitter Blue, the social media company started charging$8 a month for account verification, and now, third-party apps likeThread ReaderandPikasoare expected to pay.
Most of the humor on Twitter never cost a dime, just like these nifty tools reliant on the free API. Monetizing API access could oust smaller developers from the industry, including those making better tools for Twitter users. While Musk has claimed to be a champion of free speech, moves like this only serve to curb means of creative expression, limiting access those who can afford it.
Besides the impact on the developer community, paywalling the API will allow the company to gatekeep access to what is, by its own admission, one of the largest sociological datasets in the world as Twitter data is a boon to a variety of researchers tracking trends like the popularity of a certain hashtag to the spread of misinformation or hate speech.
Lest we forget,The Vergeobserves that the API’s demise could also mean several players using their Twitter login to play Genshin Impact and other titles could lose their in-game progress forever. Once the API is unplugged, there won’t be any way to log back in.
Like we said, pricing for the basic API access remains anyone’s best guess, but hopefully not for long — Twitter promises to reveal more details next week. Until then, hang on to your hats because we all know more headwinds are on the way.
