Some users of Twitter have migrated to a new social platform due to a temporary reading limit announced by Elon Musk.
On Saturday, July 1, many Twitter users became aware of the changes when they were greeted by a notification that read “Rate limit exceeded,” which was accompanied by a message below it that said, “Please wait a few moments then try again.”
Musk’s reasoning for the restriction is “to address extreme levels of data scraping & system manipulation,” he explained in a Tweet.
Additionally, there were specific stipulations for accounts as follows:
- Verified accounts are limited to reading 6,000 posts/day
- Unverified accounts to 600 posts/day
- New unverified accounts to 300/day
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO said those numbers would later be updated to reflect 8,000 for verified users, 800 for unverified, and 400 for new unverified.
Rate limits increasing soon to 8000 for verified, 800 for unverified & 400 for new unverified https://t.co/fuRcJLifTn
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 1, 2023
Insider shared that nearly 13,000 users had found issues accessing Twitter that day, based on tracking site DownDetector, data. Of those, over 7,500 were in the U.S. and 5,300 were in the U.K.
These latest update have brought greater attention to Twitter’s rival, Spill.
As AfroTech previously mentioned, the social media platform was created by Alphonzo “Phonz” Terrell and DeVaris Brown — two former Twitter employees — and is built around creating safety for diverse communities.
“Our thesis was if we could build a platform from the ground up that caters to these groups, these culture drivers, and then solve the core problems that they’re facing, that our community is facing more specifically, that would make for a better experience for everyone,” Spill co-founder Terrell told AfroTech in an exclusive interview.
According to responses to the Spill app on Twitter, it’s accomplishing what it set out to do.
Spill is really a whole app of nothing but Black Twitter pic.twitter.com/6XhPf9ZAbH
— Whitney | Socials Strategy (@WhitneyChanell) July 2, 2023
Abandoned Twitter in March 2022. Returned once in November 2022 for #QueenSugar finale. Deactivated Facebook. Won’t try TikTok. Posts on IG. And now on #Spill. Same handle: @ava. pic.twitter.com/UQipeuDyy6
— ARRAY (@ARRAYNow) July 2, 2023
Black people running from Twitter to spill: pic.twitter.com/mqgM4WKusa
— KEEKS✨ (@KeyonnaMarisha) July 2, 2023
Spill became the most downloaded free app on the Apple App Store following the restrictions, and is still near the top, at No. 3.
To join their community, click here.