In a move aimed at reducing abuse and fake engagement, Elon Musk’s X is eliminating access to two essential features of its developer API for free-tier users. As a result, free users will no longer be able to like posts on behalf of users or follow other accounts.
The company states that these changes are intended to protect the platform from “spam, bots, and manipulative activities” that negatively impact user experience.
Developers on paid plans—Basic, Pro, or Enterprise—will remain unaffected by these changes. These plans offer additional capabilities, higher rate limits, and access to a wider range of features.
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While limiting access to these common actions may help curb programmatic abuse, it could also drive legitimate developers and businesses toward paid plans to maintain functionality.
Under Musk’s leadership, X has made several significant alterations to its API platform, initially ending free access with minimal warning, only to later allow some free usage. When new API pricing was introduced in spring 2023, it was evident that revenue generation was a priority, as the basic plan primarily supported “good bots”—automated accounts providing useful information, such as weather alerts.
In October, X also raised the price of its basic tier from $100 to $200 per month and introduced higher limits.
SOURCE: TECH CRUNCH
