Twitter says it is taking steps to crack down on automation that lets someone spread spam or artificially inflate the popularity of certain tweets or hashtags. In a blog post Wednesday, Twitter explained its new rules for users and developers.
"These changes are an important step in ensuring we stay ahead of malicious activity targeting the crucial conversations taking place on Twitter — including elections in the United States and around the world."
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Do not (and do not allow your users to) simultaneously post identical or substantially similar content to multiple accounts. For example, your service should not permit a user to select several accounts they control from which to publish a given Tweet ...
Do not (and do not allow your users to) simultaneously perform actions such as Likes, Retweets, or follows from multiple accounts. For example, your service should not permit a user to select several accounts they control to follow a specified account ...
The use of any form of automation (including scheduling) to post identical or substantially similar content, or to perform actions such as Likes or Retweets, across many accounts that have authorized your app (whether or not you created or directly control those accounts) is not permitted. For example, applications that coordinate activity across multiple accounts to simultaneously post Tweets with a specific hashtag (e.g. in an attempt to cause that topic to trend) are prohibited ...
Users of TweetDeck will no longer be able to select multiple accounts through which to perform an action such as Tweeting, Retweeting, liking, or following ...
Why it matters: This is a major step for Twitter as it combats political propaganda on its platform and tries to get rid of bot accounts that help to "artificially inflate" the reach of a hashtag or topic through "inorganic" means. The move comes days after the Justice Department alleged that Russian operatives had heavily relied on social media platforms such as Twitter to manipulate the spread of fake, politically charged content.
The platform is carving out exceptions to the new rules for developers that share “weather, emergency, or other public service announcements of broad community interest” across multiple accounts.
Twitter is giving users until March 23 to comply with the changes, and accounts that repeatedly violate the rules could face suspensions.
Twitter limits automated tweets to curb bots (Axios)
Twitter cracks down on automated tweets (The Hill)