The Twitter API is a set of protocols and tools that allow developers to interact with the platform and access its data. Through this resource, developers can create applications that integrate with Twitter and perform actions such as posting tweets, collecting user data, reviewing trends, and generally analyzing activity on the platform.
Until now, the Twitter API is free to access, but with certain restrictions and authentication requirements. Soon, this will change, according to what the same company reported.
New rules for using the Twitter API
Twitter announced that as of February 9, it will stop offering free access to its API and will launch a paid version. This move comes after the company applied a sudden change to its API terms, which will no longer be supported in its v1.1 and v2 versions. At the moment, the social network has not revealed how much it will charge for the use of the API.
This determination comes after a recent Applied update on Twitter API Termswhich affected many popular third-party Twitter clients, such as Tweetbot and Twitterrific, which were seen forced to stop working.
Through its Twitter Dev account, dedicated to developers, Twitter published a series of messagesamong those who stated that they are “committed to enabling fast and comprehensive access so you can continue to build with us.”
This data, which comprises billions of tweets posted weekly, is considered some of the most valuable data on the web today. Thousands of developers use the Twitter API to build newsbots, side projects, and human behavior studies.
Twitter’s recent announcement could cause complications for some developers, forcing them to shut down their products or charge for them. The company hasn’t clarified whether it also plans to end free use of the API for researchers, which could limit research in different areas, such as detecting misinformation circulating on Twitter.
Since its founding, Twitter has had a somewhat elusive relationship with developers. Although over the years these rough edges have been smoothed out with the establishment of some facilities to integrate external developments with the data from the platform, the approach taken by the company’s new administration completely changes the paradigm.
Since Elon Musk’s controversial acquisition of Twitter, the company has struggled to control how users access the platform and to find new ways to monetize the service. This initiative, which can be classified as one more measure taken in that sense, once again redefines the benefits that this platform offers, this time with respect to developers.