Elon Musk: ‘Good Bots’ Can Stay on Twitter for Free—API Restrictions Still Taking Place

Isaiah Richard, Tech Times 06 February 2023, 09:02 pm

Elon Musk seemed to have gone back on his previous word about third-party developers on the platform, as now, some "good bots" may remain on the platform and use its API for free. This is after the previous declaration on the platform that all bots will no longer have free access to its API, no matter the good or bad ones.

Other developers made their systems open-sourced and without proper funding, and after the declaration, they decided to pull out their services as it is no longer free.

Elon Musk: 'Good Bots' May Stay and Use Twitter's API for Free

(Photo : CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images)

There would be limited cost-free access to Twitter's API, as per a recent tweet from Chief Tweet last Saturday which addressed some bots who may remain on the platform. However, this would only be available for "good" bots and will be limited to those who gain access to the platform's application programming interface (API).

A famous Twitter account and bot, Pepito the Cat, posted an image and statement which reacted to the company's announcement about the last day of the free API access, one that would change many things on the platform.

As per Twitter, starting February 9, third-party client developers will no longer have free access to the social media's API, and this initial announcement applies to all bots, with no exceptions.

Now, there seem to be some considerations, as per the CEO.

How Will Musk Distinguish the Good Bots from the Bad Ones?

Elon Musk's reply to Pepito the Cat's account claims that "good bots" will receive special free access to continue their activities on the app. However, the burning question now is how will the owner and Twitter determine the good from the bad bots, especially as there are specific restrictions to free access.

Twitter's API Change, Other Revisions Under Musk

Musk's Twitter leadership and takeover changed a lot for the platform, and people enjoyed many things for free but now feature a price tag on them for continued use. One of the perfect examples here is the paid verification subscription that would require a monthly $11 fee for mobiles and $8 for the web to get the blue checkmark symbol on their profiles.

Another controversial change took place this year, with Twitter's API, which will no longer allow bots to use it for free. With this move, more people have decided to leave Twitter and move to its rival, Mastodon.

It also involves the famed Twitter client developers from the past who have enjoyed the free access, now met with a paywall from the company.

The social media platform saw many changes under Musk's leadership, which may not be what people imagined as Twitter returning to its former glory when people were free here. However, there is still hope for some, especially bot and client developers who have been "good," retaining their free access to Twitter's API.