In the ever-growing list of screwups and backtracks, Twitter is now backtracking on the decision not to exempt free API use for public services.
Under Elon Musk’s leadership, Twitter announced it would kill off free access to its API, forcing companies to choose whether or not they want to pay for enterprise access, which starts at $42,000 per month. The National Weather Service (NWS) had requested an exemption and been denied, despite Musk originally saying that bots and accounts providing useful information would be exempted.
While it may not seem like a big deal for the NWS not to receive an exemption, the fact is that many users rely on Twitter notifications from NWS accounts for severe weather warnings, leading the NWS to urge people to start relying on other methods.
After being panned — and justifiably so — for its decision, Twitter has reversed course.
