Controversial Changes Coming to Twitter: Daily Direct Message Limits for Unverified Users
More controversial changes are coming to Twitter, with the social media platform set to introduce daily direct message (DM) limits for unverified users. Twitter Support announced the upcoming changes on July 21 via a tweet, stating that the platform will be implementing measures to reduce spam in Direct Messages.
According to Twitter Support, unverified accounts will have daily limits on the number of DMs they can send. This announcement has prompted users to consider signing up for Twitter Blue, the platform’s subscription service, as a means to send more messages.
Although Twitter has not specified the exact daily limits, the reaction to this news has been predominantly negative. Both verified and unverified users have expressed their opinions on the move, with adam’s comment on Twitter receiving over 1000 likes. Adam expressed skepticism regarding the upcoming change, emphasizing that Twitter should focus on providing additional features for paid subscribers instead of limiting a common, free feature.
A popular citizen journalist account called AutismCapital shared a similar sentiment, suggesting that the introduction of DM limits for unverified accounts is more about driving users to pay for verification and subscribe to Twitter Blue rather than effectively combating spam.
Furthermore, some users argued that limiting DMs for unverified accounts would only result in verified accounts being able to spam in DMs without any restrictions. Others speculated that the move is primarily aimed at Twitter’s financial interests, as it pushes users to pay for verification to cover the platform’s operational costs.
This upcoming change follows a series of radical alterations to the platform under the ownership of Elon Musk. On July 1, Twitter implemented rate limits on the number of posts users could see per day as an effort to prevent data scraping and system manipulation. Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta responded by launching a Twitter alternative called Threads on July 18, but it also imposed its own rate limits shortly after garnering initial hype and a large user base.
In April, Twitter introduced content monetization settings, allowing creators to monetize all forms of posts globally. These changes highlight the evolving landscape of social media platforms and their attempts to adapt to user demands and combat potential issues.
As Twitter continues to navigate these changes, users are left to assess the implications and determine how it may impact their experience on the platform. The introduction of daily DM limits for unverified users raises questions about the balance between combating spam and maintaining valuable communication channels on Twitter.