From the recent earthquake event near the city of Ishikawa, Japan on January 1st, one issue that occurred was the restriction of NERV’s X or Twitter account. This platform serves as a disaster warning system in Japan, and it posted a message stating that NERV’s account is currently limited in posting on X. This applies to both the English and Japanese language accounts, due to excessive updates on the earthquake situation and frequent tremors. This message was posted 2 hours after the earthquake event occurred.
Later, NERV updated that they have contacted X/Twitter to register their account as a public utility, which removes the post limit for NERV’s account. This update came 3 hours after the initial notification. NERV is a platform that provides various disaster alerts in Japan, and it has a Twitter account to parallel the information provided through its own app. The account has over 2 million followers. However, after Twitter or X adjusted their API usage conditions, NERV opted for a $100/month package that allows them to post 100 messages within 24 hours. Under normal circumstances, this is not an issue. However, in the event of a continuous disaster with incoming data, the aforementioned posting limit will be problematic.
Following X/Twitter’s guidelines, emergency reporting accounts will be able to post messages without any limitations if they are government agencies or public organizations with confirmed identities. Nevertheless, for NERV, the situation may differ. Although they utilize data from government agencies, the app itself is developed by the private cybersecurity company Gehirn. This is why X states that it is a business account.
Prior to this, NERV already established an alternative escape route by creating an account on Mastodon.
TLDR: A recent earthquake near Ishikawa, Japan resulted in limitations on NERV’s X or Twitter account, affecting their ability to post updates. NERV took steps to register their account as a public utility to remove these limitations. This limitation poses challenges during continuous disasters, as NERV’s account is essential for providing timely information. Moving forward, they are exploring alternative platforms such as Mastodon to ensure reliable communication during emergencies.
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