Twitter is introducing a daily limit on the number of direct messages that unverified accounts can send. This means that non-paying users who have not verified their accounts will soon have restrictions on their ability to send direct messages to other Twitter users. The announcement was made on Twitter by the official Twitter Support account on July 21, 2023.
The specifics of the new limit have not been disclosed, including when it will take effect and how many direct messages non-paying users will be allowed to send before reaching the limit. Additionally, it is not clear whether the limits will apply to all direct messages or only to those between users who do not follow each other.
This move may be seen as an effort by Twitter to increase its subscriber count by reducing functionality for non-paying members, as Twitter subscribers already have several advantages over non-paying members. These advantages include the ability to post longer tweets, prioritize their posts for increased visibility, use formatting options, see fewer ads, edit tweets, and soon, hide the Twitter Blue icon.
Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter, recently revealed a significant drop in advertising revenue for the site and emphasized that it has not yet achieved a positive cash flow. It is perceived that the upcoming direct messaging limits could potentially reduce spam and increase revenue for the site. However, the impact will depend on the specific daily limits set. If the limits are low, it may lead to frustration among Twitter users and potentially drive some to subscribe to Twitter Blue, while others may decrease their activity on the site.
Twitter had previously implemented restrictions on direct messaging to curb spam, which resulted in a 70% reduction for users who opted for the new option to only allow messages from verified Twitter users and contacts.
The official Twitter Blue sign-up page does not currently list the restriction of direct messages for unverified accounts. This move raises questions about whether Twitter’s primary goal is to fight spam or to generate more revenue through increased subscriptions.
