Third-party Twitter apps that rely on the platform’s application program interface (API), such as Tweetbot, Twitterific, Fenix and Echofon, have been suspended according to internal messages.

While the reason for the ban remains unclear, it could force users to rely on the standard Twitter app.

“Tweetbot and other clients are experiencing problems logging in to Twitter,” explained Tapbots, with other app accounts making similar claims. “We’ve reached out to Twitter for more details but haven’t heard back.”

Developers have also taken to other social platforms such as Mastodon to air grievances regarding the continuing issues.

“Did Twitter just kill 3rd party clients? Can’t log in with Twitterific at the moment,” writes Sean Hebar of the Twitter desktop client, which was the first to come to macOS, allowing users to view tweets on the platform in real time as well as publish their own. It is closed-source software.

Meanwhile, Paul Haddad of Tweetbot posts, “I’m hoping whatever is going on at Twitter is just some automated spam protection bot that is incorrectly suspending proper apps.”

Twitter are yet to issue a statement regarding the situation, though they did say in a post last month they will continue to “invest in our Developer Platform, especially our Twiter API”, which, in light of the current situation, sounds very much like them wanting to be the only players on the team in the new Elon Musk era.

“Thank you for sticking with us through this transition, and we cannot wait to keep building together,” they add.

Changes or updates to their API may have accidentally caused some disruption, though many speculate this was all dictated by Musk.