Third-party Twitter apps like Fenix, Tweetbot, and Twitterrific have not worked for a number of days now, with users unable to log into their accounts and developers reporting that they no longer have access to the Twitter API. The social network has been suspiciously quiet about the whole thing, and it looks like the move was intentional.
It had been hoped byTwitter appdevelopers and their apps' users that the issue was a glitch or bug rather than something that was done intentionally. That was entirely possible given the number of engineers that Musk’s company laid off in late 2022, but it now appears that whatever is going on with that all-important API was actually intentional.
A paywalled report byThe Informationclaims that Twitter purposefully took third-party apps offline, adding that internal Slack communications confirm that the “third-party app suspensions are intentional.”
That was the message given by a senior Twitter engineer when asked by other company employees. However, when those employees asked for “approved talking points” for developers and other stakeholders, none were given. It’s been said that those talking points are being worked on, but no timeline has been given.
The lack of confirmation from Twitter that this move was intentional is what developers appear to be most angry about, and understandably so. Many had built businesses around the apps that allow Twitter users to access the social network without using the official apps or Twitter website. Now, they’re unusable.
It isn’t clear what the next step is for Twitter or developers. Could this be the first step to putting API access behind a paywall, for example? It’s also been suggested that Twitter will simply keep things as they are today, noting that users of third-party apps don’t see the adds that Twitter serves and as thus aren’t being monetized.
At a time when Twitter is so strapped for cash that it’s reportedlyconsidering selling handles, that seems like something the company wouldn’t allow.
