Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
Twitter announced earlier this year that it would be ending free access to its API, which is used by a plethora of third-party clients designed to enhance or simplify the Twitter experience. It meant the end of many popular services, and now even more have been forced to cease operations as Twitter has blocked API access for additional clients and services.
Twitter removed API access from more third-party clients yesterday, as several reports started coming out that services were unavailable. This includes dlvr.it, a program that uses Twitter’s API to automatically post articles and other content from third-party sources. The company stated that it is looking for a solution to the issue.
This is also grim news for bots and services that make Twitter more accessible for users with disabilities. Ross Minor, a content creator that advocates for accessibility for those with blindness, stated that the forced shutdown of clients that made Twitter easier to use for blind folks means that it will be “very difficult” to use the platform moving forward.
In February, Twitter announced that full free API access would be going to the wayside in favor of paid tiers. This meant the end of popular services like Tweetbot and Twitterific. There are also countless novelty bot accounts on Twitter that use its API to generate memes, turn videos into downloadable files, and even curse every word. Several services have already shut down, and it will be a case-by-case basis as folks weigh the value of paying to retain access to Twitter’s API.
Restricting API access is just one of the many controversial decisions Twitter has made under the ownership of Elon Musk over the past several months. This includes gutting the staff of the social media company, adding verification as a Twitter Blue perk, and removing the distinguishment between verified accounts.