Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter, announced new restrictions imposed by the social media platform through tweets on Saturday morning. Twitter, which had become one of the most important communication platforms in the world before Musk's ownership, has undergone changes that are not well-received by its users since he took the helm. Following Musk's controversial decision to remove the blue checkmark from accounts that were previously verified, he has now decided to impose restrictions on the number of tweets a user can read in a day. He stated that this new measure is temporary and aimed at preventing data scraping from Twitter and temporarily updating the platform. However, it seems Musk was not entirely sure about his decision before announcing it, as he initially tweeted a list of restrictions: Verified accounts (Twitter Blue subscribers) limited to reading 6,000 posts per day, Unverified accounts limited to reading 600 posts per day, New unverified accounts limited to reading 300 posts per day. Just minutes later, he changed the limits to: Verified accounts limited to reading 8,000 posts per day, Unverified accounts limited to reading 800 posts per day, New unverified accounts limited to reading 400 posts per day. These changes sparked widespread reactions from Twitter users, with one user tweeting that Musk's actions were akin to supporting Putin in the war against Ukraine. Another user sarcastically reposted Musk's tweet, stating that they are all free and mentioned going to the park to see friends. This is not the first time Musk has taken such actions to encourage Twitter users to subscribe to Twitter Blue, actions that his critics deem contrary to the very essence of social media platforms and the free sharing of information on the internet. However, Musk claims that managing a platform like Twitter is not that difficult, and he could even delegate this responsibility to his dog. Amir Giti, a journalist for the Persian section of Voice of America, primarily focuses on news related to political, social, and technological fields. He began his journalism career in Iran and joined Voice of America in 2021 after leaving Iran and working with media outlets outside the country. Amir Giti reports from California for Voice of America.
Mask on Users' Nerves; New Restrictions by Twitter's New Owner Elon Musk Spark Controversy
Elon Musk has imposed new reading limits on Twitter users, which has sparked significant backlash. Verified accounts can read up to 8,000 tweets per day, while unverified accounts face stricter limits. This move is seen as controversial and contrary to the principles of free information sharing.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Elon Musk announced new restrictions on the number of tweets users can read daily on Twitter, sparking backlash from users. The limits vary based on account verification status, with verified accounts facing higher limits than unverified ones.
- Verified accounts can read up to 8,000 tweets per day, while unverified accounts are limited to 800.
- Musk's decision has been criticized as contrary to the principles of free information sharing.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Twitter has been a key platform for public discourse and activism, particularly in countries with restricted media. Musk's ownership has led to significant changes that challenge traditional norms of social media.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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