In an effort to reduce spam and incentivize users to sign up for its premium subscription service, Twitter has announced that it will be imposing daily limits on the number of direct messages (DMs) that can be sent from unverified accounts. The social media giant revealed the upcoming changes on Friday, stating that unverified accounts will now have restrictions on the number of DMs they can send. Additionally, Twitter encouraged users to subscribe to Twitter Blue to enjoy unrestricted access to the messaging service.
The announcement from Twitter Support read, “We’ll soon be implementing some changes in our effort to reduce spam in Direct Messages. Unverified accounts will have daily limits on the number of DMs they can send. Subscribe today to send more messages.” This message drew criticism from many users, who argued that the restrictions seemed illogical and were merely a ploy to push people to pay for a blue checkmark, which is associated with Twitter Blue.
This recent move by Twitter follows its decision earlier this month to temporarily limit the number of posts unverified accounts can read per day. Unverified accounts were limited to 800 posts per day, while new unverified accounts were restricted to 400 posts per day. In contrast, verified users were allowed to view up to 8,000 posts daily. Twitter implemented these limits in response to what it referred to as “extreme levels of data scraping.”
Despite the backlash from users, Twitter Support claims that its anti-spam measures have been successful thus far. The company asserts that the limitations on Direct Messaging inboxes to verified users, which were introduced last week, have resulted in a 70% reduction in spam. However, many users remain skeptical and express their discontent with the platform’s continuous attempts to monetize certain features and services, such as the blue checkmark.
Since Elon Musk took over as CEO of Twitter in October 2021, the platform has undergone significant changes. One of the initial moves made under Musk’s leadership was the introduction of an $8 charge for obtaining a blue checkmark. This decision was aimed at reducing the platform’s reliance on advertisements and creating a more egalitarian system for the verification process.
In summary, Twitter’s decision to impose daily limits on DMs for unverified accounts is an attempt to combat spam and promote its premium subscription service, Twitter Blue. While the platform claims that these measures have been effective in reducing spam, users remain skeptical and criticize the restrictions as a means to generate profit from paid features. The social media landscape continues to evolve under Musk’s leadership, as Twitter seeks to strike a balance between user satisfaction and financial sustainability.
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