As a result of these new restrictions, alternative platforms similar to Twitter are experiencing a surge in user activity.
Elon Musk recently announced a new daily read limit on Twitter for both verified and unverified users right after the platform went down for over three hours. Musk suggested Twitter was suffering from excessive data scraping and announced read limit regulations to combat that issue as well as system manipulation by restricting users’ access to a certain number of tweets per day to prevent future outages.
In response to the read limit, many users are switching to their backup accounts and tweeting from there once they hit the limit. The hashtag #TwitterLimits is currently trending on the platform, indicating the massive impact of the latest Twitter protocol.
As a result of these new restrictions, alternative platforms similar to Twitter are experiencing a surge in user activity.
Bluesky, a decentralised social media platform, has witnessed a substantial influx of sign-ups within a short period with many migrating from Twitter. The platform even temporarily halted the sign-up process due to the overwhelming traffic, emphasising the need to prepare for the situation. The Bluesky app is available for Android and iOS users, but currently, it is in private beta and requires an invitation to join.
Capitalising on this trend, Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, is developing an app called Threads, which is currently in the beta phase. The app aims to provide a Twitter-like experience, allowing users to follow others, create threads, and connect with others. Reports suggest that users will be able to join Threads using their existing Instagram accounts.
Mastodon is another Twitter alternative and an open-source social media platform that’s slightly unique from the rest. This self-hosted social media platform offers tools for microblogging similar to Twitter with no daily read limit or a paid subscription service.
As per the latest regulations, new unverified users can read up to 500 tweets per day, and those unverified can access up to 1000 tweets. Similarly, paid verified users enjoy a higher limit of up to 10,000 tweets per day. When a user reaches the daily limit, they can’t view tweets and must wait until the following day to regain access to posts.
The implementation of the read limit on Twitter users is causing inconvenience among users and businesses, particularly those without verified accounts. Many see these limitations as a tactic by Twitter to drive more users towards verification, which comes with a monthly subscription fee.
A portion of Twitter users supports Elon Musk’s standpoint, saying these limitations will curb the influence of AI bots and manipulative actors who rely on accessing large volumes of tweets and trends. However, the majority of users perceive these regulations as part of Musk’s strategy to convert regular users into paid subscribers.
Source:indianexpress.com