Photo: Jorge Urosa/Pexels
When Twitter opted to shut down its free API, this caused issues for public institutions that rely on this feature to disseminate information on the platform. The social network is restoring this free access to the app's programming framework for verified government and publicly-owned services that use the API for "critical purposes," including emergency notifications, transportation updates, and weather alerts.
The social network wanted to earn money from the use of its API. So, Twitter outlined a three-tier pricing strategy for its API in March. The free access was limited to bots and testers that only needed to write posts. It allowed just 1,500 tweets per month and one app ID, limiting the use for creators who need to make frequent updates. Meanwhile, the basic access costs USD 100 per month with fixed caps on tweets. And businesses need to use the multiple enterprise-level tiers, which could cost tens of thousands of dollars per month.