Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and Twitter, has announced that he is temporarily limiting the number of Twitter posts users can view.
With the proliferation of data scraping techniques, social media platforms have become vulnerable to abuse. Elon Musk’s tweet highlights the urgent need to address this issue and ensure that Twitter remains a reliable and trustworthy platform for its users. By implementing temporary limits, Musk aims to curb the excessive activities of malicious actors while allowing legitimate users to continue enjoying the platform.
The limit is set at 6000 posts per day for verified users, 600 posts per day for non-verified users, and 300 new unverified accounts to 300 per day.
These restrictions aim to deter automated spam accounts and discourage malicious activities by limiting their ability to spread misinformation or manipulate discussions. By controlling the actions of unverified accounts, Musk hopes to maintain a healthier Twitter ecosystem.
Curbing Abuse by New Unverified Accounts
Recognizing that many data scraping and manipulation efforts arise from newly created unverified accounts, Elon Musk has set even stricter limitations for them. New unverified accounts will be restricted to 300 posts per day, aiming to deter the creation of multiple accounts for malicious purposes. This measure intends to discourage bad actors from rapidly generating new accounts to bypass restrictions and engage in harmful activities.
Reactions to Rate Limit Are Strong
Elon Musk’s decision to impose tweet limits while giving verified users a significantly higher allowance has sparked a wave of discontent among Twitter users. Many argue that these restrictions hinder the free flow of ideas and conversations, limiting the democratic nature of the platform. The perceived preferential treatment towards verified accounts, who can still view and post 10 times more tweets than unverified users, has intensified the dissatisfaction.
Critics argue that this move further entrenches inequalities on the platform and undermines the principle of equal participation. Some users question the necessity of such strict limitations, expressing concern that it may stifle creativity and hinder the organic growth of online discussions.
Others believe the tweet limitations are designed to encourage people to purchase twitter’s premium subscription plan, Twitter Blue.
