Twitter has started to block unregistered users from browsing the platform and viewing tweets, The Verge reports.
Since Elon Musk’s takeover in late 2022, Twitter has undergone various changes- some of which were good, and some were terrible, according to critics. Despite all initial controversies, Twitter is now a much different place for users, and evolution still continues. In one of the latest changes, Twitter now blocks unregistered users from viewing content and accessing user profiles.
This means if you’re not logged into your Twitter account, you won’t be able to access any form of content on the platform. You can’t even search for a specific tweet or user profile if you’re browsing as an unregistered user. The platform now launches a window requiring unregistered users to log into their accounts or create a new ones.
Preventing unregistered users from viewing content contradicts Elon Musk’s actions during his first days as the owner. In November 2022, Musk hired former iPhone hacker and self-driving car developer George Hotz to fix a glitch in a Twitter search and remove the login prompt. Hotz, however, left the job half-done and parted ways with Twitter.
Twitter doesn’t allow unregistered users to view tweets and user profiles
The new policy is expanding to web and mobile apps. Yet, the company has stayed tight-lipped about whether this has been an internal update or a technical glitch. However, the company could make a public announcement in the coming weeks. Given the prior changes that Musk made to the platform, the latest restriction to unregistered users seems to be an official update from the company.
The reason for the change is also obvious. Twitter aims to entice unregistered users to either open an account or log into their accounts to start engaging. In the best scenario, the new users could become Twitter Blue subscribers and enjoy more features after paying a monthly fee. In both ways, the platform will benefit.
Twitter previously allowed unregistered users to view tweets, but they were prevented from interacting with others. Free Twitter accounts can still access the content without any restriction, but they need to be a Blue subscriber to access extra features.