X has sent cease-and-desist letters to Nitter and multiple instances, alleging API circumvention and data scraping, putting the open-source project’s future in doubt.
X has sent cease-and-desist letters demanding the permanent shutdown of Nitter, an open-source project that lets users read public X posts without logging into the platform or using its app. The letters, sent on 24 August 2026, reportedly also targeted multiple Nitter instances.
Nitter.net is now offline and development has stopped temporarily while its creator, developer Zedeus, seeks legal advice. Zedeus confirmed to TechCrunch by email that other Nitter instances received similar letters.
A letter viewed by TechCrunch accuses Nitter of the “unlawful use and circumvention of X’s Application Programming Interface (API) and associated data”, as well as scraping X data and accessing accounts and session tokens in violation of X’s rules. X’s lawyers cited the Texas Harmful Access by Computer Act and Lanham Act, and gave Nitter until 5 p.m. EST on 25 August to shut down.
Nitter said: “On 24 August 2026 cease and desist letters have been sent by X Corp. demanding a permanent takedown of Nitter instances and the project’s repository.”
The project fetched public X posts while removing ads, tracking cookies and JavaScript. Its code also powers services such as XCancel. In 2024, X API restrictions had already forced Nitter.net offline temporarily and required hosts to connect instances to real X accounts.
The latest action shifts the pressure from technical restrictions to legal enforcement against an open-source project, its repository and independent instances.
