Twitter Sparks Backlash Over Limits on Post Viewing
Twitter, the popular social media platform, has recently faced criticism from users following a controversial decision regarding the number of posts users can view. Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur who acquired Twitter for $44 billion in December, announced on Saturday that the platform would impose temporary limits on the number of posts users with verified accounts can view. This sparked outrage among users and ignited a debate about data scraping and system manipulation.
Temporary Limits on Post Viewing
Musk disclosed that users with verified accounts, who pay $8 a month for a premium subscription service, will now be able to read 6,000 posts per day. However, those with unverified accounts and new unverified accounts will have their viewing capacity reduced to 600 and 300 tweets per day, respectively. Musk stated that this decision was made to combat the rampant data scraping and system manipulation that has plagued the platform.
Following significant backlash from users, Musk revised the “rate caps” and increased the number of posts that can be viewed. Verified accounts will now be able to access up to 10,000 posts per day, while unverified accounts will have a limit of either 1,000 or 500 tweets, depending on their status. This adjustment aims to address the concerns raised by users and strike a balance between accessibility and data protection.
The Rise of AI-powered Chatbots and Data Collection
Recent developments in AI-powered chatbots, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard, have significantly increased the demand for internet data to enhance their models. Companies like Twitter and rival platform Reddit have expressed their intentions to block groups from collecting data for free. Musk highlighted the widespread data collection practices within the AI industry, emphasizing the need for companies to address this issue.
In his Friday tweet, Musk stated, “Nearly every company dealing with AI, from start-ups to some of the largest corporations on Earth, were collecting massive amounts of data.” He further expressed his frustration with having to bring numerous servers online in emergencies to accommodate the evaluation needs of AI startups. This statement underscores the challenges faced by companies in managing and maintaining data resources without compromising user experience.
Monetizing Twitter Data and Improving Financial Health
Musk has recently implemented strategies to increase revenue by charging third parties for access to Twitter data. This approach aims to address financial concerns and prevent potential bankruptcy. Additionally, Twitter announced that tweets can no longer be viewed without logging into an account, which incentivizes more people to sign up for the platform. These changes resulted in an immediate response from users, with many encountering “speed limit exceeded” errors and being unable to access further posts.
The decision to impose limits on post viewing has been met with criticism from not only users but also former Twitter executives. Esther Crawford, former director of product management at Twitter until her dismissal by Musk in February, voiced her dissatisfaction with the decision and its potential consequences.
Conclusion
Twitter’s recent decision to place temporary limits on post viewing has generated significant controversy among its users. While Elon Musk’s intention to combat data scraping and system manipulation is commendable, the revised rate caps reflect the platform’s efforts to find a middle ground that caters to both data protection and user accessibility. The rise of AI-powered chatbots and the associated demand for data have further heightened the importance of addressing data collection practices.
It remains to be seen how Twitter will strike a balance between monetizing its data and improving its financial stability while maintaining a positive user experience. As the platform continues to evolve, it must find innovative solutions that protect user privacy, address data concerns, and cultivate a thriving community.
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Twitter has sparked a backlash from users after Elon Musk claimed the social media platform was placing temporary limits on the number of posts they can view.
Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur who bought the company for $44 billion in December, tweeted on Saturday that users with verified accounts, who pay $8 a month for a premium subscription service, can read 6,000 posts a day. . Those with unverified accounts and new unverified accounts could read 600 and 300 tweets a day, respectively, he said.
He added that the decision was made to “address the extreme levels of data scraping [and] system manipulation” on the platform.
Following intense criticism from users, he later said that these “rate caps” would be adjusted to 10,000 posts for verified accounts and 1,000 or 500 for unverified accounts.
The move comes as AI-powered chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard, which scrape or harvest data from the internet to power their models, have exploded in popularity. Twitter and rival Reddit have indicated their intention to block groups from collecting data for free.
“Nearly every company dealing with AI, from start-ups to some of the largest corporations on Earth, were collecting massive amounts of data,” Musk wrote on Friday.
“It’s quite irritating having to bring a large number of servers online in an emergency just to facilitate the outrageous evaluation of some AI startups,” he added.
Musk recently sought to charge third parties more broadly for access to Twitter data in a bid to boost his revenues after warning several months ago that the company could face bankruptcy if its finances don’t improve. Earlier in the week, the company announced that tweets could no longer be viewed without a user logged into an account, a move that could force more people to sign up for the platform.
The changes resulted in a rapid reaction from users, with many tweets receiving an error message stating “speed limit exceeded” and being blocked from seeing further posts. The phrase trended on Twitter on Saturday morning, as thousands of users also reported issues with the platform.
Some former Twitter executives were also critical of the decision. Esther Crawford, who was the director of product management until she was fired by Musk in February, tweeted on Sunday: “Hubris + no pushbacks-customer empathy-data = great way to ignite billions “.
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