Home / Technology / X Corp Demands Nitter Shutdown Via Legal Threats
X Corp Demands Nitter Shutdown Via Legal Threats
26 Aug
Summary
- X Corp issued cease-and-desist letters to Nitter, demanding its shutdown.
- The letters cite unlawful use and circumvention of X's API and data.
- Nitter.net is offline, and development has paused pending legal advice.
Nitter, an open-source project that provided users with an ad-free and tracker-free way to view posts from X, is now facing a shutdown following legal action. On August 24, 2026, X Corp sent cease-and-desist letters to Nitter's creator, demanding the permanent takedown of all Nitter instances and its associated code repository. The letters accuse Nitter of unlawful use and circumvention of X's Application Programming Interface (API) and data.
Nitter.net, the project's flagship instance, has since gone offline. Its creator, who uses the handle Zedeus, is currently seeking legal advice and has temporarily halted development. This legal pressure comes after X previously attempted to disable Nitter through technical means, such as API restrictions, in 2024. Despite those earlier challenges, Nitter instances managed to return online.
The legal notice from X specifically mentions violations of state and federal laws, including the Texas Harmful Access by Computer Act and the Lanham Act. X has set a deadline of 5 p.m. EST on August 25, 2026, for Nitter to cease operations. This move aligns with a broader trend of social media platforms restricting third-party access, pushing users towards official apps for increased tracking and advertising.
