AI scrapers do not give a crap about this and will mask their scrapers behind fake accounts, VPNs, etc. The purpose of this is to scare off researchers from trying to analyze tweets to see, e.g., just how much hate speech is on X and how heavily the site promotes it. - ThreadSky

maxkennerly.bsky.social • 138 days ago

AI scrapers do not give a crap about this and will mask their scrapers behind fake accounts, VPNs, etc.

The purpose of this is to scare off researchers from trying to analyze tweets to see, e.g., just how much hate speech is on X and how heavily the site promotes it.

Reposted from Chad Loder

The new Twitter ToS raise some ... interesting legal questions. x.com/en/tos

Comments

gabegraziani.bsky.social•138 days ago

Is X under any obligation to demonstrate that those damages are reasonable besides "you agree"? Is there an expectation that each person agreeing is somehow informed enough to agree to that?

maxkennerly.bsky.social•138 days ago

The answer is: it depends on the judge.

Some judges will find, correctly, that a liquidated damages clause in a clickwrap agreement with no consideration can't be enforced.

Other judges will see their hero Elon Musk suing libs and think that's very legal and very cool.

cwargo.bsky.social•137 days ago

Is it enforceable?

bonenberger.bsky.social•137 days ago

This is a great point — folks might not understand that one can only do scientific research by showing reproducible data, which under these terms leaves one open to legal action by Musk

redskull87.bsky.social•136 days ago

Here the direct link to the report for the people who want to read it.
https://open.clemson.edu/mfh_reports/7/

sullymander.bsky.social•136 days ago

Is there really many researchers still using the site? It used to be free (with a vetting process), but now it looks like you'd need a Pro (dev) account which runs $5,000 USD a month. I'm sure some research groups have money/can get grants for that (for short term data collection). 1/2

sullymander.bsky.social•136 days ago

But for a lot of less well funded groups or graduate students just starting out, it seems like a bust.

adownie.bsky.social•138 days ago

They’ll just brigade it with a pool of IPs.

blemley.us•138 days ago

I thought X was the “public square”. Seems like maybe that’s not the case now.

lizardky.bsky.social•138 days ago

Some squares are more public than others.

maxkennerly.bsky.social•137 days ago

Ah here, we go. Clemson researchers find a massive pro-Trump botnet on X. Two weeks later, X terms of service are updated with a liquidated damages clause for excessive views to scare off future researchers.

https://open.clemson.edu/mfh_reports/7/

jauntywk.bsky.social•136 days ago

Anti-social networking intensifies.

jauntywk.bsky.social•136 days ago

This is the attack on free speech. Not even being able to understand or observe speech as it happens. The highest most damaging possible hypocracy.

Absolutely absurd sad way to squander a once fine network.

kbenjaminstone.bsky.social•136 days ago

You’re almost there.

They think they got it in the back. Or as close
as they can get.

So the chase the normies off. Crank up the FUD machine to the top.

Stuff Donald in closet for two weeks.

Yup. They are running out the clock.

That little stunt by Musk is 100% part of the plan y’all. Wake up.