Block Party, a popular anti-harassment tool for Twitter, has announced its indefinite shutdown due to Twitter’s paywalling of API access. With the recent changes made by Twitter, many beloved third-party apps are being forced to shut down. Block Party, which helped users protect themselves from targeted harassment on the platform, expressed its disappointment in a blog post, stating that despite its efforts, it couldn’t continue its services.
Under Elon Musk’s ownership, Twitter has been alienating developers. The platform started by shutting down Toolbox, a showcase for third-party developers’ work. Subsequently, popular third-party clients like Tweetbot and Twitterific stopped working without any prior notice. Finally, Twitter paywalled access to its API, cutting ties with many developers. However, the high cost of API access ($100 per month for the basic tier) is unsustainable for most projects, affecting researchers and academics who lack the necessary funding.
Block Party founder Tracy Chou revealed that Twitter had approached them in the pre-Musk era to collaborate. However, those days are gone, and the loss of Block Party adds to the blows suffered by Twitter’s once-thriving developer community.
Block Party, which recently raised $4.8 million in funding, plans to pivot to its next tool, Privacy Party. While Block Party curated a safer Twitter experience, Privacy Party aims to be a proactive tool, providing privacy recommendations for platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Venmo. The browser extension will simplify privacy decisions by offering clear options and automating the process of finding and implementing the right settings.
Although the shutdown of Block Party is a setback, the company remains committed to making the internet safer. The announcement serves as another reminder that large social media platforms cannot be trusted to prioritize user safety without regulation or incentives. Privacy Party is now available for alpha testing to existing Block Party customers, offering hope for the company’s future endeavors.
