As Twitter puts new reading limit policy in place, users are divided

Elon Musk introduces a new view limit on Twitter for new, verified, and unverified users.

An unverified Twitter user can only access up to 500 tweets a day (File Photo)

Listen to this article

00:00

1x 1.5x 1.8x

Elon Musk-owned micro-blogging platform Twitter has witnessed tremendous changes in its policies since the multi-billionaire acquired it in October 2022 for a whopping $44 billion. From paid verification to a 10,000-character limit per tweet, Twitter continues to evolve, and with the latest policy, where a newly registered user can only access 500 tweets per day, followers are left divided.

As per the new reading limit policy that underwent numerous changes in just a few hours. At first, the limit was set at 300 posts per day for new unverified users, 600 posts for unverified accounts, and 6000 posts for verified accounts, with the second revision, the limit was increased, where, unverified Twitter users can only access 500 tweets per day, an old unverified user can read up to 1,000 tweets per day, and lastly, a verified user can access up to 10,000 tweets per day.

According to Elon Musk, the new reading limit policies are in place to address “extreme levels of data scraping & system manipulation. We’ve applied the following temporary limits.” Similarly, he also suggests that he is doing a “good deed” to “Twitter addicts” by imposing the new daily “view limit.”

To address extreme levels of data scraping & system manipulation, we’ve applied the following temporary limits:

– Verified accounts are limited to reading 6000 posts/day
– Unverified accounts to 600 posts/day
– New unverified accounts to 300/day

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 1, 2023

While Elon Musk has given his complete approval for these new regulations, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey has a mixed opinion. He says, “Running Twitter is hard, and it’s easy to critique the decisions from afar…which I’m guilty of…but I know the goal is to see Twitter thrive. It will.”

Running Twitter is hard. I don’t wish that stress upon anyone. I trust that the team is doing their best under the constraints they have, which are immense. It’s easy to critique the decisions from afar…which I’m guilty of…but I know the goal is to see Twitter thrive. It will.

— jack (@jack) July 1, 2023

Mike Benz, Executive Director, Foundation For Freedom Online, suggests that the new Twitter regulations related to the reading limit will prevent government agencies and AI models from a massive scraping of data and will prevent organisations from creating online communities to support their narrative online using mass censorship. Using Twitter API, one can scrape millions of tweets on Twitter with just a click.

Wow. Musk has no idea the DARPA rattlesnake he just stepped on by this doing this…

My take on @elonmusk’s new rate limit policy, from the lens of the censorship industry: https://t.co/AZ5SPIgHiz pic.twitter.com/Rw4KBZsT9O

— Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) July 1, 2023

Benz adds that while the new policy might help Twitter convert more users into paid subscribers, it would also cut down “some amount of the openness” of the platform.

Most users and businesses who currently have an unverified account are definitely against the new policy due to the new limitations. People are complaining about not being able to view their own tweets, and according to a few others, this new regulation could directly hurt Twitter by limiting the reach of a tweet.

Tags:
Twitter