Twitter’s recent decision, led by owner Elon Musk, to charge a subscription fee for access to its API has raised concerns among experts and nonprofit groups. Previously, users had unlimited access to Twitter’s API, allowing researchers to gather data on the platform’s role in issues such as election meddling, disinformation, and potential war crimes. Starting in April, access to the API now requires a paid subscription, ranging from $42,000 to $210,000 per month, leaving many researchers without access. This move has implications for disinformation research, war crimes investigations, and emergency response efforts during natural disasters.
According to an anonymous international human rights investigator, the change is a major concern for institutions that may struggle to budget for the fees. Musk’s decision to charge for services that were previously free, such as the blue check mark badges denoting verified accounts, has been justified for reducing bot activity on the platform. However, there has been no noticeable decrease in bot traffic since Musk acquired Twitter. The monetization strategy implemented by Musk is seen as a prioritization of financial interests over responsibilities to respect and protect human rights violations.
Lawmakers in Washington have expressed concern over the API changes, stating that they will make it more difficult for researchers to understand harms on Twitter. Since Musk’s takeover of the platform, Twitter has undergone significant workforce reductions, including disbanding its human rights division and Moderation Research Consortium. Twitter’s relative transparency and assistance to researchers distinguish it from other social media platforms in terms of access to their API.
Access to Twitter’s API has played a critical role in various sectors, such as locating disinformation clusters, aiding early warning systems during conflicts, and assisting in investigations of war crimes. The new API policy will limit the number of tweets an account can publish without access to the enterprise tier, impacting organizations like Hala Systems, which use Twitter to issue warnings during aerial bombings.
The free API policy also enabled the discovery of influential bot campaigns and exposed election meddling and disinformation campaigns. However, the API changes will significantly reduce information about election-meddling campaigns, activism harassment, and the impact of disinformation in countries with fragile rule of law and limited media outlets. While Twitter has made exemptions for verified government and publicly owned services, many developers and researchers argue that these exemptions are insufficient.
Independent software developers played a crucial role in mapping and rescue efforts after earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria in February. They created databases and heat maps to locate people trapped in the rubble when government rescue efforts were delayed. However, the new API fees could significantly impact rescue efforts during natural disasters, particularly in developing countries with weak infrastructure or media disruption.
In conclusion, Twitter’s decision to charge for access to its API has raised concerns among experts and nonprofit groups. The change limits researchers’ ability to analyze Twitter’s role in disinformation, war crimes, and other critical areas. It also has implications for emergency response efforts during natural disasters. Many argue that the new fees disproportionately affect organizations and individuals dedicated to supporting fact-based reality and accountability for atrocities.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
