X API price hikes discourage link sharing

Social media platform X has significantly increased its API pricing for posting links, raising the cost from $0.01 to $0.20 per link. This move aims to combat spam and misuse, but it has led to publications like Techmeme ceasing to include direct links in their posts, opting instead to direct users to their website. X's head of product has disputed claims that link visibility is being reduced, suggesting that content needs to be more integrated into posts. The API changes could force news organizations to pay substantial monthly fees or resort to manual posting.