Twitter will charge $100 (nearly 94 euros) for a search tool trusted by humanitarian aid volunteers in Turkey and Syria, and could lose access on Monday unless they pay that monthly fee.
The tool, known as an API, is used by thousands of nonprofit volunteers and others like researchers to analyze data from Twitter, search for requests for help, including people trapped in collapsed buildings, and connect people with rescue organizations.
“It’s [a API] It is not only because of the rescue efforts that we are unfortunately coming to an end, but also because of the logistical planning, as people flock to Twitter to broadcast their needs,” said Sedat Kapanoglu, founder of Eksi Sozluk, the most folk of turkey social networks that has been advising volunteers in their rescue efforts.
Sedat Kapanoglu said that hundreds of “good Samaritans” are distributing their own paid access keys to the ‘premium API’ (Twitter has already offered a paid version with more features), for use in rescue efforts, but reminded that this is not So. sustainable or the right way”, and that it might even be against the rules of Twitter.
Monday is the deadline Twitter has set to end free access to the API, an added challenge for first responders in Turkey, who, according to the Associated Press, are working around the clock to take advantage of Twitter’s exclusive and open system.
It’s not just disaster relief groups that are concerned about the new rate, researchers and academics are also using Twitter to, among other things, study the spread of misinformation and hate speech or investigate public health or how people behave online.
Source: TSF
