Elon Musk’s X is rolling back free developer access by removing two of its most common features: liking posts and following accounts through the API. Going forward, these actions will only be available to developers on paid tiers.
The company said the move is intended to protect the platform from “spam, bots, and manipulative activities” that undermine the user experience.
Paid Plans Unaffected
Developers subscribed to Basic, Pro, or Enterprise tiers will still be able to access likes and follows through the API. These paid plans also provide higher rate limits, expanded capabilities, and broader feature support.
For many legitimate developers, however, the changes could mean added costs, as free access becomes less practical for building or maintaining projects.
A Pattern of Revenue-Driven API Shifts
The update is part of a broader pattern of API changes since Musk took over X. In 2023, the company ended free API access with little warning before reintroducing limited free use. Paid plans arrived soon after, with the most basic plan designed to support “good bots” like weather or emergency alerts.
In October, X doubled the cost of its Basic plan from $100 to $200 per month while increasing usage limits.
Author’s Opinion
These API changes show Musk’s X is leaning heavily on monetization, even if it means making life harder for smaller developers and independent creators. While clamping down on spam is a fair goal, restricting simple actions like likes and follows forces many into paid tiers unnecessarily. It risks stifling innovation on the platform by pushing out hobbyists and smaller teams who often create some of the most creative and useful tools.
Featured image credit: BoliviaInteligente via Unsplash
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