Elon Musk claims ‘temporary limits’ address security concerns, while some users suspect motive behind Twitter Blue subscriptions
Twitter has implemented a restriction on daily content access, citing the aim to combat “system manipulation” according to its owner. With this recent development, there are concerns about the potential demise of the social media platform. Users are left wondering about alternative options available to them.
What actions has Elon Musk taken on Twitter?
In the past week, Twitter implemented sudden modifications that decreased the functionality of its service. Initially, the platform started mandating user login to access its content, whereas previously even non-registered individuals could view tweets. Subsequently, a restriction was imposed on the majority of non-paying users, limiting unverified accounts to 600 tweets per day, which was later increased to 1,000.
What is the rationale behind Twitter’s implementation of these changes?
According to Musk’s tweet, these changes on Twitter are referred to as “temporary limits” and were implemented to tackle issues related to “extreme levels of data scraping” and “system manipulation.” Although it is not confirmed if these are the actual reasons behind the changes, data scraping involves automated services, such as AI, collecting publicly-available data from a website.
Certain users speculate that this move aims to promote Twitter Blue subscriptions, which allow users to view up to 10,000 tweets per day. Alternatively, some believe that Twitter may have been compelled to impose these limits due to capacity constraints imposed by suppliers.
What is the significance or interpretation of these changes and the related information?
During the weekend, users encountered “rate limit exceeded” messages when they reached their content access limits on Twitter. While some users were able to refresh their timelines after waiting for a while, others remained unable to view additional tweets for the remainder of the day.
Initially, using the Twitter-owned product called TweetDeck allowed users to bypass these limits. However, on Monday, users reported difficulties in accessing their feeds on TweetDeck as well.
What alternative options are available to us?
Until recently, Twitter remained functional, and a significant number of users had not felt compelled to abandon the platform. However, with Twitter’s increased restrictions on tweet viewing, the possibility of a successor to Twitter gaining popularity has emerged.
One notable alternative is Bluesky, which was launched in February by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. Over the weekend, as users started migrating away from Twitter, Bluesky had to temporarily suspend new sign-ups. However, new sign-ups were reinstated as of Monday.
Currently, the sign-up process for Bluesky requires invitation codes from other users, as the platform is still in its developmental stage. While Bluesky shares a similar appearance and user experience with Twitter, it currently lacks direct messaging functionality and the ability to upload videos.
Another alternative to Twitter that has been promoted is Mastodon. Although it has gained traction and built communities since Elon Musk’s involvement, it has not yet managed to replace Twitter.
It appears that Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, is gearing up to fill the void left by Twitter. Reports suggest that the text-based app Threads, also known as “Project 92,” is on the verge of imminent release. Screenshots of the app indicate a Twitter-like interface, allowing users to connect with individuals they already follow on Instagram. This would eliminate a major obstacle users face when transitioning from Twitter, which is locating and reconnecting with previously followed accounts.
