Twitter has shared more details about upcoming changes to its API that will require most developers to pay to continue using the developer tools, Engadget reports.
Really free access?
The company said there will be a “new form of free access” that will allow “the creation of up to 1,500 tweets per month.” Many of Twitter’s so-called “good” bots – the automated accounts that tweet everything from historical photos to helpful reminders – will be able to continue working on the platform.
Previously, the future of these accounts was uncertain, as many bot creators said they wouldn’t pay for API access.
Paid basic access that offers low level of API usage, and access to Ads API for a $100 monthly fee.
— Twitter Dev (@TwitterDev) February 8, 2023
But what will happen?
The truth is that the limit of creating 1,500 tweets a month could affect the bots that tweet most often. Fifteen hundred tweets per month equates to about 50 tweets per day, which could be a problem for Twitter’s most active bots.
Additionally, the company gave a brief reprieve to developers who will lose access to the API, saying it has extended the current version of the API until February 13.
Access free…
After that date, developers who want access to Twitter’s “paid basic” API level will have to pay $100 per month, according to Twitter. The company also confirmed that it will discontinue the Premium API and that subscribers will have the option to apply for the Enterprise version of the service. There’s no word yet on what options, if any, researchers currently using Twitter’s developer tools will have for their projects.
