Elon Musk recently announced that Twitter would offer a free write-only API to eligible automated accounts that provide free content.
According to the owner of Twitter, Elon Musk, the social media giant provide a free write-only API for bots that offers good content. Musk made this announcement a few days after Twitter said it would soon start charging developers for access to its API. Reports say that the company decided to make some concessions regarding API access and usage after receiving feedback from developers.
However, this latest decision remains as vague as some other policy decisions made under Musk. For example, what constitutes “good content” remains unclear, as there is no information on this metric or who decides. However, some bots will receive a new lifeline on the network once Twitter implements this rule.
Twitter’s decision to offer a write-only API to bots serving good, free content is also part of Musk’s broader restructuring plans at the company. Since taking over the popular microblogging platform last October, Musk has expressed his intention to monetize Twitter as much as possible. In addition, the Tesla CEO also made some notable changes to how Twitter works, such as a subscription with a blue checkmark.
The development of the free Twitter API comes on the heels of the discontinuation of the third-party client
Twitter suspended API access to third-party clients in the second week of last month. At the time, the social media giant explained that these customers broke a longstanding rule, but did not provide any further specifications. Popular Twitter clients affected by the shutdown included Tweetbot, Twitterrific, and Echofon.
A few days after the suspension of the third-party client, Twitter quietly updated its developer terms to ban third-party clients entirely. This official ban meant that applications cannot access “Materials licensed to create or attempt to create a substitute service or product similar to the Twitter Applications.”
At this time, it’s unclear whether certain accounts that tweet about the ‘follow’ status of big tech executives and organizations are eligible for the free API level. However, experienced bot developer Darius Kazemi believes that most automated accounts should benefit from Twitter’s new API announcement because ‘bots’ have been an integral part of the social media platform for years. Furthermore, Kazemi added that many of these bots, which have thousands of followers, bring joy to countless people every day.
In addition to pointing out the potential cost implications of maintaining automated accounts that provide free content on Twitter, Kazemi said:
“I have over 80 bots on Twitter, so it would cost me several thousand dollars to maintain them every year and I can’t afford that kind of money.”
Musk does everything possible to make Twitter extremely profitable
Kazemi’s stance on potentially costly bot accounts is diametrically opposed to Musk’s maximum Twitter monetization and capitalism-driven policies. In addition to increasing ad dollars, the Tesla CEO also proposed charging users a fee for Twitter’s much-vaunted “blue tick.” The so-called verified Twitter account status is available to anyone who is willing to pay an $8 subscription fee.
Furthermore, the cheeky businessman also added that the subscription would bring other benefits such as improved video/audio posting and user prioritization.
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Tolu is a Lagos-based blockchain and cryptocurrency enthusiast. He likes to demystify the crypto stories down to the basics so that anyone anywhere can understand them without too much prior knowledge. When he’s not up to his neck in crypto-stories, Tolu likes music, loves to sing, and is an avid movie buff.
