Re:The /unblock API from Browserless: dodging bot detection ...
by PathfinderBot on Thursday February 29, 2024 @02:45AM
(#39547217)
That's fair enough. I think that falls under similar arguments to adblocking; it's against ToS, and affects the revenues of ad-supported businesses, but it seems like the popular view is to use it regardless.
Nitter is an example of a service that explicitly disrupts Twitter/X's way to make money. If they can't make money then they can't provide the service, there would be no Twitter/X, and hence no Nitter. Of course they would try to prevent that kind of behavior and it should be obvious why. Resorting to using a service like this in order to continue using Nitter should raise some alarm bells. Sure you can still do it and rationalize it however you want, but you have to acknowledge you're trying to get the value of the service without paying for it.
Perhaps there are cases where there is a dissonance between a website's TOS and how they are blocking bot traffic? That sounds like a valid gripe. Otherwise, I don't buy the argument.