Elon Musk has announced that Twitter has introduced temporary daily reading limits to address the issue of “extreme levels” of data scraping and system manipulation. In a tweet, Musk stated that verified accounts are now limited to reading 6,000 posts per day, while unverified accounts are restricted to 600 posts per day. New unverified accounts can only view 300 posts per day.
Users who have already reached their daily viewing limit may encounter a “rate limit exceeded” message but can still access Musk’s post through an alternative link.
The announcement immediately prompted trending hashtags such as #Twitterdown and RIP Twitter on the platform. However, Musk did not specify the duration of these temporary reading limits.
This development follows Twitter’s recent decision to require users to have an account on the platform in order to view tweets, a move that Musk referred to as a “temporary emergency measure” on Friday.
Elon Musk, who serves as the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, completed a $44 billion takeover of Twitter in October 2022. In April, he introduced a payment system for verified accounts, offering subscribers benefits such as longer tweets, the ability to edit published tweets, reduced ad exposure, and the use of non-fungible token (NFT) profile pictures.
The implementation of these reading limits has raised concerns among high-profile individuals and celebrities, who argue that it leaves the platform vulnerable to imposters and disinformation. Twitter, however, has defended the move, stating that it aims to enhance the quality of conversations on the platform.
Since Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, the company has undergone significant cost-cutting measures, resulting in the layoff of thousands of employees, including those involved in content moderation, election integrity, and information accuracy efforts. Musk has previously expressed his intention to step down as CEO, and in May, he announced the appointment of Linda Yaccarino, a former NBCUniversal executive, as the new chief executive, while he assumed the role of executive chairman, following a poll where Twitter users called for his resignation.
