New updates on post reading in Twitter
Twitter, the popular social media platform owned by Elon Musk, has recently introduced some major changes to its post reading policy. Users will now have a temporary limit placed on the number of tweets they can read in a day, depending on their account status and subscription plan. This move is aimed at addressing the issue of data scraping and system manipulation by hundreds of organisations that use Twitter's data to train their artificial intelligence models.
What are the new limits?
According to Musk's tweets, the new limits are as follows:
- Verified accounts are limited to reading 10,000 posts per day
- Unverified accounts are limited to reading 1,000 posts per day
- New unverified accounts (created after July 1, 2023) are limited to reading 500 posts per day
These limits apply only to reading tweets, not posting them. Users can still tweet as much as they want, as long as they follow the platform's rules and guidelines.
Why did Twitter introduce these limits?
Musk explained that the reason behind these limits is to prevent "extreme levels" of data scraping and system manipulation by various organisations that use Twitter's data for their own purposes. Data scraping is the process of extracting large amounts of information from a website or an online platform, often without the consent or knowledge of the owner. System manipulation is the act of influencing or altering the behaviour or performance of a system, such as a social media platform, by using various techniques or tools.
Musk said that hundreds of organisations, including some artificial intelligence firms like OpenAI, the owner of ChatGPT, were scraping Twitter data "extremely aggressively", affecting user experience and violating Twitter's terms of service. He also expressed his displeasure with these firms for using Twitter's data to train their large language models, which he considers to be a potential threat to humanity.
How did users react to these limits?
The announcement of these limits came amid an outage that affected thousands of Twitter users on Saturday, July 1, 2023. Many users reported problems with accessing tweets, seeing their timelines or followers disappear, or getting the message "rate limit exceeded" when they tried to view tweets. The phrase "Twitterdown" was trending in the UK on the platform.
Some users expressed their frustration and anger with the new limits, saying they were unfair, unreasonable, or arbitrary. Some also accused Musk of being greedy, selfish, or authoritarian. Others said they understood the need for these limits and supported Musk's decision. Some also joked about the situation or suggested alternatives to Twitter.
What are the implications of these limits?
These limits have significant implications for both Twitter users and data scrapers. For users, these limits mean that they will have less access to tweets from other users, especially those who are not verified or who have joined recently. This could affect their ability to stay informed, entertained, or connected with others on the platform. Users who want to read more tweets will have to either get verified or subscribe to Twitter Blue, the paid programme that offers additional features and benefits to users.
For data scrapers, these limits mean that they will have less data to work with and will have to find other ways to access or obtain Twitter's data. This could affect their ability to develop or improve their artificial intelligence models or other products or services that rely on Twitter's data. Data scrapers who violate these limits could face legal action from Twitter or Musk.
What are the future prospects for Twitter?
Twitter is one of the most popular and influential social media platforms in the world, with over 300 million active users as of 2023. It is also one of the most controversial and innovative platforms, with frequent changes and experiments in its features, policies, and ownership. Under Musk's leadership, Twitter has taken steps to win back advertisers who had left the platform under his ownership and to boost subscription revenue by making verification check marks a part of the Twitter Blue programme.
However, Twitter also faces many challenges and risks in its future. These include competition from other platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Clubhouse; regulation from governments and authorities around the world; backlash from users and critics over its decisions and actions; and ethical and social issues related to its role in spreading information, misinformation, or disinformation.
The new limits on post reading are just one example of how Twitter is trying to balance its interests and responsibilities as a social media platform in a complex and dynamic world. Whether these limits will help or hurt Twitter in the long run remains to be seen.
Source:
(1) Twitter imposes daily reading limits for all users amid ... - Metro. https://metro.co.uk/2023/07/01/twitter-imposes-daily-reading-limits-for-all-users-amid-outage-19050329/?ico=trending-post-strip_item_1.
(2) Twitter applies reading limit after users report issues with platform .... https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jul/01/twitter-applies-reading-limit-after-users-report-issues-with-platform.
(3) Elon Musk sets new daily Twitter post reading limits - The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/07/01/elon-musk-new-twitter-user-limits/.
(4) Elon Musk announces new daily Twitter limitations as thousands of users .... https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/thousands-users-report-problems-accessing-twitter-met-rate-limit-excee-rcna92188.
FAQ's
How do you see private replies on Twitter?
To view your hidden replies, click or tap the hidden reply icon which will be available in the bottom-right of your original Tweet.
What is Twitter Tweet limit?
The Tweet limit of 2,400 updates per day is further broken down into semi-hourly intervals. If you hit your account update/Tweet limit, please try again in a few hours after the limit period has elapsed.
Why is Twitter limited?
Why did I receive a message that my account features are temporarily limited? Conversations are core to Twitter, but if we detect behavior that may violate the Twitter Rules or inhibit other people's ability to express themselves freely, we may temporarily limit certain account features.
How to see Twitter history?
Where can I find my Twitter data? Click or tap More in the main navigation menu to the left of your timeline. Select Settings and privacy. Choose Your account. Select Download an archive of your data. Confirm your password, then select Request archive.
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