[Air-L] RIP Twitter Search API

Shulman, Stu stu at texifter.com
Sun Mar 19 05:44:00 PDT 2023


Much of this may reflect the instability of a system down 75% of its staff
rather than a plan being carefully executed. In the last 15 hours a single
query of four terms separated by Boolean ORs against the Search API
generated >159,000 Tweets, which seems like an accelerated rate of data
flowing for the Search API. If this remains true, anyone reading this could
build a million-Tweet project over the next week. There should be some
political history made in the United States. The bots and trolls will have
everyone on edge.

On Sun, Mar 19, 2023 at 8:25 AM Vergeer, M.R.M. (Maurice) <
maurice.vergeer at ru.nl> wrote:

> The search API today seems to work, although I use is not that often.
> However the streaming API seems down as of March 14. Can any other users
> confirm this?
> best
> Maurice
>
> ________________________________________________
> Maurice Vergeer
> www.mauricevergeer.nl
>
> ________________________________________________
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Air-L <air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org> on behalf of Shulman, Stu
> via Air-L <air-l at listserv.aoir.org>
> *Sent:* Saturday, March 18, 2023 10:53 PM
> *To:* stuart.shulman at gmail.com <stuart.shulman at gmail.com>
> *Cc:* AoIR mailing list <air-l-aoir.org at listserv.aoir.org>
> *Subject:* Re: [Air-L] RIP Twitter Search API
>
> I am not sure how or why, but access to the Twitter Search API is back via
> DiscoverText. I did get a number of notes saying "Are you sure?" after the
> RIP note and I was fairly certain until today and our API keys were
> renewed. We are also looking at connecting some new social data APIs so
> please send ideas if you have suggestions of open, reliable, stable APIs.
> One non-social media platform we are exploring for medical research is:
>
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://clinicaltrials.gov__;!!HJOPV4FYYWzcc1jazlU!8wpW2TIieszZPy9XWUu0XWHN3wzBfv6J27pI65G_hvIbFpkY7LwyHgDCHstqi2usN24HF2gwzvx6HpCeU_Zn$
> .
>
> On Sat, Mar 11, 2023 at 12:08 PM Stuart Shulman via Air-L <
> air-l at listserv.aoir.org> wrote:
>
> > The Twitter Search API we have used for gathering data since 2010 appears
> > to be gone. Is the academic API also gone? I have heard the price of
> access
> > is prohibitive. What does this mean? Foremost, if you do research on
> > Twitter data, back up everything you already have. If you have any
> Twitter
> > datasets you are now an archivist with precious cargo. Limiting access to
> > new data hinders the ability of researchers to understand the evolving
> ways
> > in which the platform is used in ongoing information warfare operations,
> > for example to exacerbate polarization in democratic countries and
> trigger
> > future insurrections here in the United States. However, at the scale of,
> > say a university or even all universities, there is a massive amount of
> > stored data. One thing I notice about misinformation propagandists
> > weaponizing Twitter is they like to stick with what they know already
> > works. While we figure out how to access and study new data we should
> > meanwhile be aware that the tactics previously used give important clues
> > about what is coming. I don't think Mr. Musk bought Twitter to make
> money.
> > So the concern for me is more about what other reasons would inspire him
> to
> > overpay for a money losing business and then set about changing the user
> > composition, researchers access, governance mechanisms, and other really
> > important elements. I am worried specifically that the future power users
> > able to pay for API access points will shape more of what goes onto the
> > platform and shows up at the top of the feeds. The general trend is
> > disconcerting and dangerous with proto-fascists running about banning
> books
> > and Elon platforming white supremacists and their fellow travelers.
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>
> --
> Dr. Stuart W. Shulman
> Founder and CEO, Texifter
> Editor Emeritus, *Journal of Information Technology & Politics*
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-- 
Dr. Stuart W. Shulman
Founder and CEO, Texifter
Editor Emeritus, *Journal of Information Technology & Politics*



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