Twitter says third-party apps broke “long-standing API rules,” won’t name rules

Enlarge / Two birds are enforcing long-standing bird feeder access rules. That may result in some birds not eating. (credit: Tony Quinn / EyeEm / Getty Images)

Ever since Twitter revoked the API access of prominent third-party clients, developers, dedicated fans, and tech pundits have been waiting for an explanation. They still haven't received one, but a recent tweet from Twitter's API team suggests it's all the developers' fault for breaking "long-standing API rules" that the company will not name.

Twitter is enforcing its long-standing API rules. That may result in some apps not working.

— Twitter Dev (@TwitterDev) January 17, 2023

The Twitter Dev account says the social network "is enforcing" those rules, and it "may result in some apps not working." Twitter's API documentation is extensive and contains many rules and limits dependent on several factors. Tech video producer Marques Brownlee, who has 6 million followers, replied to the account soon after its post, asking, "What are the rules." Neither Brownlee's nor any other questions elicited a response.

No one outside of Twitter can say whether the company sought a reason to ban third-party clients and found it in its API language or if the company suddenly decided to enforce API rules against some of the most popular third-party clients just as the company was seeking to bolster its revenues against a significant drop in ad revenue and upcoming debt payments. (Third-party clients typically don't show Twitter's "promoted" tweet advertising.)

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