Twitter, the popular social media platform, has recently implemented temporary caps on the number of tweets users can view each day. The decision, announced by Twitter owner Elon Musk, aims to address issues related to data scraping and system manipulation. However, the move has received backlash from users who expressed their frustration over the imposed limits. In this article, we will delve into the details of Twitter’s tweet restrictions and the subsequent reaction from the Twitter community.
Elon Musk’s Announcement
On a Saturday, Elon Musk took to Twitter to inform users about the temporary limitations being imposed on tweet viewing. Unverified users were initially set to have a cap of 600 posts per day, while subscribers of Twitter Blue, a premium service, were allowed up to 6,000 posts.
These measures were enacted as a response to combat extreme levels of data scraping and system manipulation that Twitter had been facing. Musk also mentioned that the limits would be increased to 808,000, without specifying the duration for which the higher limits would be in effect.
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 (@elonmusk) July 1, 2023
Revised Limits and User Reports
Within a span of five hours, Musk revised the tweet limits once again, increasing the count to 1,000 posts per day for unverified accounts and 10,000 posts for verified users. However, users encountered difficulties accessing the platform and received notifications indicating that they had exceeded their rate limit.
Down detector, a service that tracks website outages, reported a peak of nearly 7,000 complaints around 11:30 AM in New York. This surge in user reports clearly demonstrated the magnitude of the impact caused by the imposed limitations.
Now to 10k, 1k & 0.5k
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 1, 2023
Twitter Backlash and Trending Topics
Following Elon Musk’s announcement regarding the tweet limits, the platform’s trending topics were flooded with complaints from users. Many users expressed their frustration by posting messages about Twitter being down or even declaring its demise.
The discontent stemmed from the inconvenience caused by the restrictions, as users were unable to access the platform as freely as before. It also highlighted the significance of Twitter as a platform for public discourse and real-time information exchange.
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Context and Previous Twitter Restrictions
Twitter’s recent move to impose temporary tweet limits follows a series of other restrictions that were implemented earlier in the week. Previously, Twitter had disallowed users without accounts from viewing tweets and profiles, a measure aimed at preventing data scraping. Elon Musk emphasized that these restrictions were temporary and aimed at safeguarding the platform’s data integrity.
Elon Musk’s Influence on Twitter
Since taking over as CEO in 2022, Elon Musk has made several changes to Twitter. Notably, he introduced premium accounts called Twitter Blue, which charge users $8 per month and provide additional features. Another significant addition was the ability for users to create subscriber-only content, giving content creators new monetization options on the platform. These changes have been met with a mix of reactions from the Twitter community, with some appreciating the new features while others express concerns about potential monetization challenges for users.
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Conclusion
Twitter’s decision to impose temporary tweet limits in response to data scraping and system manipulation has sparked a wave of backlash from users. Elon Musk, as the owner and CEO of Twitter, made the announcements regarding these restrictions, initially setting limits at 600 posts for unverified accounts and 6,000 posts for Twitter Blue subscribers.
The subsequent user reports of difficulties accessing the platform led to revised limits of 1,000 and 10,000 posts for unverified and verified users, respectively. The backlash from users highlights the significance of Twitter as a platform for real-time information exchange. While Elon Musk has made notable changes to the platform, including the introduction of Twitter Blue and subscriber-only content, user sentiment remains varied regarding these updates and the temporary tweet limits.
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