Twitter has implemented temporary limits on the number of tweets users can read per day, according to a tweet by owner Elon Musk. Unverified accounts are now restricted to reading 1,000 posts a day, while new unverified accounts are limited to 500.
Accounts with “verified” status have a higher limit of 10,000 posts per day. Initially, Musk set stricter limits but adjusted them shortly after the announcement. The purpose of these temporary measures, as stated by Musk, is to address “extreme levels of data scraping and system manipulation.” However, he did not provide further details about the specific meaning of system manipulation in this context.
Musk explained that the restrictions were implemented due to excessive data pillaging, which was negatively impacting the service for regular users. While the exact nature of the data scraping is not entirely clear, it appears to involve the collection of large amounts of data used by artificial intelligence (AI) companies to train language models, including chatbots such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard.
Platforms like Twitter and Reddit, which house vast quantities of user-generated content, are increasingly seeking compensation for access to their data. Twitter has already started charging users for access to its application programming interface (API), commonly used by third-party apps and researchers, including AI companies.
In addition to addressing data scraping concerns, some speculate that Musk’s move may be related to promoting Twitter Blue, the platform’s paid subscription service. This could potentially pave the way for a model where users have to pay for full access to Twitter, including unlimited posts.
The implementation of these restrictions has not been without issues, as some users experienced problems accessing the platform. However, Musk emphasized that measures were necessary due to aggressive data scraping practices and the strain it placed on Twitter’s servers.
Elon Musk acquired Twitter last year for $44 billion and has since made efforts to revitalize the platform. The temporary limits come as part of his ongoing initiatives to address concerns and enhance the user experience, while also addressing data scraping and system manipulation.
