Slashdot Mirror
Twitter Blocks API Access For Sites Monitoring Politicians' Deleted Tweets
An anonymous reader writes: Politwoops is/was a site that monitored the Twitter feeds of politicians and posted any tweets that those politicians later deleted. On May 15, Twitter suspended API access for the U.S. version of Politwoops, and now they've blocked access to the versions of Politwoops running in 30 other countries. Twitter has also blocked access for similar site Diplotwoops, which focused on deleted tweets from diplomats and embassies. Twitter said, "'Imagine how nerve-racking – terrifying, even – tweeting would be if it was immutable and irrevocable? No one user is more deserving of that ability than another. Indeed, deleting a tweet is an expression of the user's voice." Arjan El Fassed, director of the Open State Foundation, which developed Politwoops, disagrees: "What politicians say in public should be available to anyone. This is not about typos but it is a unique insight on how messages from elected politicians can change without notice."
It's part of the API ToS you sign up for when using the Twitter API. If you get a delete event, you're supposed to remove the referenced tweet.
Your hair look like poop, Bob! - Wanker.
It'll email you not only the date and time of the message - any message - from certain individuals or using certain hashtags, it'll send you the entire content of he message as it goes out - even if it's later deleted, it's still in your inbox.
What're Twitter going to do, block Google??
Political debates have me rolling my eyes so much I think I got optical whiplash. I should sue. - Foamy The Squirrel
Politicians are not any old user. They sought power and we want to track them; they have their thumb on our neck artery, and can press at will, especially in many of these other countries.
It is important to know their thoughts -- before handlers and lawyers buff them up or delete them.
Shame on you.
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.