Twitter's API is out of reach for a second time.
Twitter, through its Twitter Dev account, recently mentioned that it is delaying the launch of its new API platform by a few more days to give third-party developers a "better experience" with its API.
Twitter previously delayed the shutdown of the free access to its API on Feb. 9 but changed its mind, announcing it is extending its deadline to Feb. 13.
New Twitter API Platform Delay Details
Twitter mentioned in its Twitter Dev account that it found "an immense amount of enthusiasm" for the upcoming changes to its API. As such, it is delaying the launch of its new API platform by a few more days to create an "optimal experience" for its third-party developer community.
The company also promised it would release more information in the coming days, though it did not specify when it would launch its new API platform.
Contrary to what Twitter may have thought, many people found the announcement in bad taste, with many giving negative comments about it, though it is unclear if they are third-party developers for Twitter. According to Twitter user @PERIPOX, the word enthusiasm is the last word they'd expect from Twitter's updates about its API, while Alejandra Caraballo said that nobody is enthused about losing access to Twitter's API and/or being "extorted at exorbitant prices" for basic access to it.
You may remember that Twitter recently announced that third-party app developers who wish to gain access to its basic access API tier would need to pay a monthly fee of $100 for them to gain low-level API usage and access to Ads API.
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Although the company didn't specify what it meant by "low-level API usage," thecompany mentioned that this move is a new chapter for its API to increase in quality, reduce spam, and help grow a thriving ecosystem.
Unfortunately, the delay jeopardizes third-party app develoepers and startups' plans of building tools around Twitter API as they couldn't get a give a good spending and budget allocation on the platform, per Tech Crunch.
Additionally, Twitter's move of charging for access to its API is upsetting academics and researchers as they previously had to pay nothing to access Twitter's Academic Research tier of Twitter's v2 API.
Twitter Third-Party Developer Reaction To The Changes
The changes Twitter made to its API and the access to it became a cause for concern for the company's third party developers, as Twitter lacks the transprency and information needed for them to continue working on their apps. As a response to this, Twitter put its developer forum website behind a login, briefly taking it down in the process without any explanation.
Twitter has had a strained relationship with its third-party developers even before Musk's takeover. The company had largely been dishonest and capricious with the developer community in the past, with Tech Crunch citing the cancelled 2011 Chirp developer conference and its acquisition of its partners' competitor Gnip in 2014.
Related Article: Twitter To Charge $100 for Basic Tier Access to Its API
