Bots with "good content" can use Twitter API for free: Elon Musk

Elon Musk says that Twitter will allow bots that provide "good content" to access the Twitter API for free. As read in a Twitter post, Musk announced that the platform would enable a "lightweight, write-only" API for eligible bots, a partial reversal of its policy that puts API access behind a paywall.

After shutting down third-party clients such as Tweetbot and Twitterrific last week, Twitter announced that developers should sign up for a "paid basic tier" to access the Twitter API starting February 9. At the time, Musk justified the move by saying that scammers, bots and spammers are "being abused" the free API, adding that a subscription of around $100 per month "with ID verification" can "clean things up greatly."

Developers and Twitter users criticized the move, who create and use bots for various purposes. While some bots, like Make it a Quote and Colour Schemer, exist solely for entertainment, others like Pikaso, Remind Me of This Tweet, and Thread Reader provide useful features on the site, including the capability to take screenshots, receive reminders for certain tweets and read threads in a more organized layout. Many developers said they would shut down their bots before the February 9 deadline.

But charging developers to access Twitter's API also presents another money-making opportunity for Twitter, something Musk has prioritized since he took over. In addition to the $8 per month that Twitter charges users to stay verified, the company is reportedly looking to squeeze $1,000 from brands that want to keep their gold marks on the platform. Although it appears that Musk will allow some level of free access to the Twitter API, many questions remain.