Twitter cracks down on third party apps

Twitter has suspended three key third-party applications developed by the new owners of TweetDeck, citing trademark violations and privacy breaches.

The apps Twitter suspended over the weekend included the widely-used UberTwitter, twidroyd for Google Android devices, and UberCurrent - all owned by California-based UberMedia, which acquired the hugely popular TweetDeck application earlier this month, according to tech news site, TechCrunch.

In a brief statement, Twitter's management said the apps had been taken down for "violating" the social network's policies.

A Twitter spokesperson told TechCrunch that UberMedia's violations related to "a privacy issue with private Direct Messages longer than 140 characters."

Others included an alleged trademark infringement as well as a claim that the company changed the content of users' Tweets in order to generate profit.

UberMedia founder and CEO Bill Gross issued an explanation on question and answer forum, Quroa.

The Direct Message problem related to Twidroyd's use of a Tweet elongation service tmi.me, which Twitter was concerned could result in a private message being posted on to a public website, according to Gross.

"At their request, we have removed this ability," he said.

UberCurrent was also pinned for changing links that are part of an affiliate program to its own links, but Gross said it currently did not engage in this practice.

Twitter also did not like the name UberTwitter - which has subsequently been renamed to UberSocial. Gross said that this change was "effective immediately".

"Twitter also said that as soon as we made these changes, they would restore our access to their API. All the changes have been made, and Twitter has been notified, and we are waiting for the apps to be restored," he said.