Twitter, the social media platform that has been around for more than 15 years, is facing a crisis of confidence and functionality. Since Elon Musk acquired the company in October 2022, Twitter’s API, the tool that allows third-party apps and services to interact with the platform, has become unreliable and expensive. Developers and users who rely on Twitter’s API for various purposes are frustrated and disappointed by the frequent issues and changes that have affected their apps and experiences.
One of the most noticeable problems occurred on June 13, when Twitter suddenly removed access to its old API without clear communication to developers. This caused many popular apps that track followers, unfollows, and lists, such as Who Unfollowed Me, to break down. “The API has been stable for the better part of 13 years,” its creator, Collin Robinson, told Mashable. “Today, we are removing the Follows and List Follows endpoints from the Basic and Pro tiers of the Twitter API v2,” Twitter announced in an email to developers. This means that unless a developer is paying a minimum of $42,000 per month, the Twitter API will not provide an app with the follower and following information.
Another major issue happened on June 3, when Twitter’s API error broke the site for about 45 minutes, preventing users from clicking any links or accessing any webpages related to Twitter. “Your current API plan does not include access to this endpoint, please see https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs/twitter-api for more information,” was the error message that greeted users. Even Twitter’s own terms of service, privacy policy, and cookie policy pages were inaccessible. “This platform is so brittle (sigh). Will be fixed shortly,” CEO Elon Musk wrote on Twitter. He added later that a “small API change had massive ramifications. The code stack is extremely brittle for no good reason. Will ultimately need a complete rewrite.”
These incidents are not isolated. According to developers paying Twitter, since the switch over to Musk’s paid API subscription plans, which range from $100 to $42,000 per month, Twitter’s API has experienced frequent issues that make it extremely difficult to run their apps. “Everything used to work fine before we started paying half a million per year,” shared one developer in a private Twitter developer group chat shared with Mashable. Developers have also complained about unannounced changes to their plans, numerous bugs, and lack of customer support.
Twitter’s API woes have not only affected developers, but also users who enjoy more functionality and customization than the official Twitter app offers. Apps like Tweetbot, which provides a better interface and features for power users, have been crippled by the API changes and outages. Users have also lost access to services like Thread Reader, which unrolls Twitter threads into easily digestible formats, and @EarthquakeBot, which tracks weather events and natural disasters like earthquakes.
Twitter’s API troubles have also hindered academic research that relies on Twitter data, such as studies on social media behavior, misinformation, and public opinion. “The research community in my field has always been dependent on access to the data of the very platforms they aim to study, which is an intolerable situation for independent research and now it is even more pronounced,” says researcher Philipp Lorenz-Spreen.
Twitter’s API is driving away many developers and users who are dissatisfied with the service and the lack of communication from the company. Some have speculated that Musk’s decision to charge for API access is part of his strategy to reduce the number of bots and inauthentic accounts on the platform, as he has expressed his concern about their impact on the company’s value. However, this approach may also alienate many legitimate and loyal customers who want more from Twitter than what Musk is offering.
Relevant articles:
– Twitter’s API keeps breaking, even for developers paying $42,000, Mashable, June 29, 2023
– Twitter API error broke the site today as Musk blames “brittle” platform, Ars Technica, June 3, 2023
– TechScape: Why Twitter ending free access to its APIs should be a ‘wake-up call’, The Guardian, February 7, 2023
– Elon Musk silent on Twitter API change that broke Tweetbot, others, 9to5Mac, January 13, 2023