Twitter to End Free API Access, Introduces Paid Basic Tier Starting February 9

Twitter is planning to charge developers for using its API. As reported by CNBC, the Elon Musk-led microblogging site will "no longer support free access to the Twitter API" starting Feb. 9.

The API is a piece of software that third-party developers use. It has been used for many different things, like setting reminders, keeping track of hate speech and false information, and getting the news.

Milking Out Twitter

The decision to charge developers for API access is part of Twitter CEO Elon Musk's initiatives to increase profitability and reduce costs. Musk paid $44 billion for Twitter in October 2022, intending to turn it into a profitable business.

In order to do this, Elon Musk has taken a number of steps to cut costs. For example, he fired about half of the company's global workforce to save about $800 million in payroll costs and added the verification badge to the paid Twitter Blue subscription service. There also comes the possibility of paid direct messages and videos.

In these latest moves, Twitter will no longer offer free access to its API and will be launching a paid basic tier starting Feb. 9.

No More Free Access Twitter API

In January, access to Twitter's APIs was limited for third-party clients, and the company has not yet mentioned if exceptions will be made for researchers using the data for academic studies.

Twitter's third-party apps, including Tweetbot and Echofon, have remained inaccessible through the website since early January, and reports claim that the incident was deliberately carried out to encourage users of competing apps to switch to Twitter's official clients.

The Twitter Devs account later justified its actions by claiming that these apps violated the company's API rules and that those who remain inaccessible on Twitter do so because they are in violation of those rules, which the company has long enforced.

The company will be revealing more details about the paid basic tier for the API next week.

The decision to charge developers for API access has elicited mixed reactions, with some users complaining that their favorite apps have become unusable. Many, however, see the change as a necessary step for Twitter to remain competitive and sustainable in the long run.

According to Betanews, a significant number of apps and tools that rely on the Twitter API will be pretty much eliminated by the change. While abolishing free API access is unlikely to have an impact on bigger apps, independent developers may not be able to afford the costs.

More from Twitter

In related news, Elon Musk planned for Twitter to compete with payment services like PayPal to increase revenue.

Twitter Payments has not officially taken off, but it appears that Musk is working to make it a reality through leaked filings.

According to a Tech Times report, Twitter is preparing to launch its payment services. Once it gets underway, it will most likely compete with other payment juggernauts like PayPal, which Musk founded and sold decades ago.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.