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Nitter: Alternative Twitter Front-End

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Re: Nitter: Alternative Twitter Front-End

#11

Post by adventured »

mirimir wrote: post #6

Cool. But to tweet, you need a Twitter account. And as I recall, Twitter pretty much demands verification through a mobile account. Do virtual mobile accounts typically work for it?

I've used Twilio numbers for this purpose in the recent past. Those work 100% of the time so far (assuming the number hasn't already been used).

Many services seem to run checking on whether a number is really a mobile number or not. VK (the Russian social network) for one example is a zealot about that and won't let any Twilio numbers through. And Instagram is a lot tighter (better at fake account creation detection) on authentication than Twitter but you can still sign up for Instagram with just an email account in most cases.

Re: Nitter: Alternative Twitter Front-End

#12

Post by Eikon »

adventured wrote: post #11
mirimir wrote: post #6

Cool. But to tweet, you need a Twitter account. And as I recall, Twitter pretty much demands verification through a mobile account. Do virtual mobile accounts typically work for it?

I've used Twilio numbers for this purpose in the recent past. Those work 100% of the time so far (assuming the number hasn't already been used). Many services seem to run checking on whether a number is really a mobile number or not. VK (the Russian social network) for one example is a zealot about that and won't let any Twilio numbers through. And Instagram is a lot tighter (better at fake account creation detection…

Interestingly enough, Twilio provides an API just for this purpose: https://www.twilio.com/docs/lookup/api

Re: Nitter: Alternative Twitter Front-End

#15

Post by fulafel »

adventured wrote: post #11
mirimir wrote: post #6

Cool. But to tweet, you need a Twitter account. And as I recall, Twitter pretty much demands verification through a mobile account. Do virtual mobile accounts typically work for it?

I've used Twilio numbers for this purpose in the recent past. Those work 100% of the time so far (assuming the number hasn't already been used). Many services seem to run checking on whether a number is really a mobile number or not. VK (the Russian social network) for one example is a zealot about that and won't let any Twilio numbers through. And Instagram is a lot tighter (better at fake account creation detection…

Are twilio numbers pseudonymous or can they be reverse-looked-up? or does twilio give or sell this information out?

Re: Nitter: Alternative Twitter Front-End

#16

Post by adventured »

fulafel wrote: post #15
adventured wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've used Twilio numbers for this purpose in the recent past. Those work 100% of the time so far (assuming the number hasn't already been used). Many services seem to run checking on whether a number is really a mobile number or not. VK (the Russian social network) for one example is a zealot about that and won't let any Twilio numbers through. And Instagram is a lot tighter (better at fake account creation detection…

Are twilio numbers pseudonymous or can they be reverse-looked-up? or does twilio give or sell this information out?

To get the individual user information for a Twilio number, given the short duration they might be attached to a given account, I highly suspect you have to go through Twilio for that info. That is, Twilio is likely to be the sole source for information on which account is attached to what number at a point in time. Obviously any consequential government authority in the US can then get that from Twilio, assuming the required judicial merchandise is presented.

I'd be curious though to know if eg Twitter security sends a request over to Twilio (perhaps in a case of an account abuse investigation), if they'd cough up information very willingly. That I don't know. It's a certainty the government can get at it, however. The best bet is to do nothing illegal using a Twilio number, and to assume if a big external service provider (Twitter, Facebook, et al.) needs to get details for some legal reason, they will.

Re: Nitter: Alternative Twitter Front-End

#17

Post by Nextgrid »

mirimir wrote: post #6

Cool. But to tweet, you need a Twitter account. And as I recall, Twitter pretty much demands verification through a mobile account. Do virtual mobile accounts typically work for it?

They will restore the account without a number if you raise a support ticket.

Re: Nitter: Alternative Twitter Front-End

#18

Post by tjoff »

mirimir wrote: post #10
jonwinstanley wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Presumably this project is for just reading?

OK. But it seems like lots of work for just reading. And maybe I don't read enough to trigger roadblocks. Or maybe I just block enough stuff.

It's barely possible to read a single tweet or thread without being logged in. If you don't block anything.

Solution is of course to not use twitter.

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