The world of social media experienced a major shake-up over the weekend when Twitter, the micro-blogging platform, announced significant changes to its daily post-viewing limitations. These modifications have been put in place to combat what Twitter chairman, Elon Musk, referred to as “extreme levels of data scraping & system exploitation.”
The Announcement
On an otherwise ordinary Saturday morning, Twitter users began experiencing peculiarities with their account usage. Notifications of a “rate limit exceeded” got users puzzled, with many attributing it to a potential technical fault.
However, Musk promptly clarified that it wasn’t a glitch but a planned attempt to manage and control the dissemination of information on the platform.
The New Rules
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The new guidelines were concise and differentiated among various types of Twitter users:
- Verified accounts (inclusive of subscribers to Twitter Blue) were capped at viewing 6000 posts daily.
- Established but unverified accounts were limited to viewing 600 posts per day.
- Newly created and unverified accounts had a much stricter limit, with only 300 posts viewable daily.
Musk further confirmed these changes in a tweet:
To address extreme levels of data scraping & system manipulation, we’ve applied the following temporary limits: Verified accounts are limited to reading 6000 posts/day, Unverified accounts to 600 posts/day, New unverified accounts to 300/day – Elon Musk, July 1, 2023
The Backlash and Subsequent Adjustment
Predictably, the announcement sparked an uproar among the users, with many expressing their dissatisfaction via tweets. The frustration was particularly evident among non-paying users who felt disadvantaged compared to the premium users.
In response to the backlash, Musk made slight alterations to the initial limitations, increasing the allowed number of posts.
Now to 10k, 1k & 0.5k – Elon Musk, July 1, 2023
Outages and Errors
Simultaneously, reports of outages and difficulties accessing the platform began to emerge. The hashtag “TwitterDown” and the phrase “Rate Limit Exceeded” trended on the platform, ironically among those who could still access it.
According to the outage tracker, DownDetector, the site received more than 7,400 outage reports by noon, with most of the reported problems being access related.
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The Verification Advantage
The change in policy seemed to provide an advantage to users who were verified or were subscribers to Twitter’s premium service, Twitter Blue. This move could potentially be a strategic decision to incentivize users to opt for the paid service, thus increasing Twitter’s revenue.
Previous Disruptions
These changes and disruptions aren’t the first under Elon Musk’s stewardship of Twitter. In March, the platform experienced widespread service interruptions, affecting thousands of users globally. The cause was attributed to changes made in the platform’s system.
The New Twitter
Since Elon Musk took over Twitter, the platform has undergone several changes, including the appointment of a new CEO, Linda Yaccarino. These modifications, albeit controversial, are part of Musk’s attempt to revamp the platform and bring back advertisers.
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Conclusion
The new read limit has been a significant change for Twitter users. It remains to be seen whether this will be a temporary measure or a long-term policy. What is clear, however, is that the Twitter landscape is changing, and users will need to adapt accordingly.
Please note: This article is based on events and information available as of July 1, 2023. For the latest updates, please refer to official Twitter announcements or follow Elon Musk’s Twitter account.
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