Twitter's API Lockdown Signals Shift from Free Web to Monetized Internet

In September, Twitter launched a new API that restricts third-party access, accelerating a trend toward closing off the open web. The move follows Google's discontinuation of Google Reader and Twitter's plan to kill most versions of TweetDeck, acquired in 2011, on May 7. Companies like Leap Motion, which partnered with HP, are distancing themselves from being seen as toys. Google's Glass Explorer edition has restrictive terms, and Amazon's Kindle model allows content removal. The shift is driven by the need to own audiences and monetize data, as partnerships fragment eyeballs and revenue. Twitter's acquisitions, such as We Are Hunted for its music service, raise questions about the permanence of partnerships with Apple, Spotify, and Rdio. Control of user experience is cited as a reason, but the underlying motive is maximizing value from research and development. The commercial web, now nearly 20 years old, is moving from a free, fun era to a more serious, monetized phase.