Three years after its debut, a site that has enabled the public to see politicians deleted tweets is getting cut off by Twitter.
Politwoops, a site started by the Sunlight Foundation in 2012, will no longer have access to Twitter s API — which allowed the tweets to flow in directly — because the microblogging site says it violates its developer agreement.
From a Twitter statement to Gawker: We strongly support Sunlight s mission of increasing transparency in politics and using civic tech and open data to hold government accountable to constituents, but preserving deleted Tweets violates our developer agreement. Honoring the expectation of user privacy for all accounts is a priority for us, whether the user is anonymous or a member of Congress.
But Christopher Gates, Sunlight Foundation president, says both parties knew all along that preserving deleted tweets violated Twitter s developer agreement. Gates writes on the foundation s blog today that Twitter gave the site its blessing in 2012 after the foundation explained the project s goals.
We are truly mystified as to what prompted the change of heart, Gates says. He said Twitter cut off access almost three weeks ago, but the foundation did not have direct contact with Twitter until last night. (The Politwoops site s most recent entry is from May 15.) The company told the foundation it could not appeal the decision.
The Wall Street Journal points out that among the deleted tweets captured by Politwoops were those by a congressman to a daughter he had not publicly acknowledged as his daughter, and one poll shared by a Republican lawmaker asking whether people believed President Obama was born in the United States.
Reaction to the move is mixed: Some say the public is losing an important tool for democracy.
Massive foot-shooting by Twitter: Every time I start to rely on Twitter, they remind me not to.
Others say Twitter users should have the right to delete their tweets.
On Twitter s side here. You can t support a tool that automates archiving things users delete.
Update: When I asked Twitter about why it was cutting off Politwoops now, a spokesperson emailed me back the same statement it gave to Gawker.
Photo by Laura Oda/Bay Area News Group
