Nitter, the open-source, ad-free, tracker-free frontend that let people read public X posts without an account, is in trouble. The dev has just posted a new update on nitter.net.
What happened:
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On Aug 24, 2026, X Corp sent cease-and-desist letters demanding a permanent takedown of Nitter instances and the project’s repository. A second letter with the same demands and legal threats followed on Sept 8.
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Press reports say the letters cite the Texas Harmful Access by Computer Act and the Lanham Act, and also went to other public instances, not just nitter.net.
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nitter.net went offline, and the GitHub repo was archived for a while.
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On Sept 7, the dev said the project would continue with legal representation in place. In the Oct 10 update he says that was based on assurances that “have since turned out to be untrue,” and apologizes for the misleading info.
Where things stand: Nitter currently has no legal counsel. The dev (zedeus) is asking for funding and legal help from lawyers, organizations, or anyone who can help. Donations go to legal costs first, and whatever isn’t needed goes to development of Nitter or its successor.
If you’re a lawyer, work at a digital-rights org, or know someone who is, contact info and donation links are on the page: https://nitter.net/
Seven years of a free, privacy-respecting project, and the response is lawyers. Signal boost if you can.