Unfollow all Twitter accounts that aren't following you back

twitter-unfollowing.py

#!/usr/bin/env python

# Unfollow all Twitter accounts that aren't following you back
#
# Twitter API:
#   https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs/twitter-api
#   https://github.com/python-twitter-tools/twitter
#   https://developer.twitter.com/en/portal/projects/new
# 
# Authentication:
#   https://github.com/python-twitter-tools/twitter#authentication
#   https://rdrr.io/cran/twitteR/man/setup_twitter_oauth.html
# 
# Endpoints:
#   Followers: https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs/twitter-api/v1/accounts-and-users/follow-search-get-users/api-reference/get-followers-ids
#   Following: https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs/twitter-api/v1/accounts-and-users/follow-search-get-users/api-reference/get-friends-ids
#   Unfollow: https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs/twitter-api/v1/accounts-and-users/follow-search-get-users/api-reference/post-friendships-destroy
#   Pagination: https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs/pagination
#
# Rate limits:
#   Can only unfollow 500 users per 24 hours
#   https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs/twitter-api/rate-limits#v2-limits
#   In practice I was able to unfollow more than 500 per day. Maybe this
#   doesn't apply to API v1? I don't actually know.
#
# Troubleshooting
#   * The app and access tokens must have write access. The app you create will
#     initially be read-only. You need to edit it to include write-access. Then
#     you can generate an access token with write-access. If you created an
#     access token before enabling the app to have write-access, you will need
#     to regenerate it.


import os
import random
import sys
import time
from twitter import *


# Authentication --------------------------------------------------------------

consumer_key = os.getenv("TWITTER_CONSUMER_KEY")
consumer_secret = os.getenv("TWITTER_CONSUMER_SECRET")
access_token = os.getenv("TWITTER_ACCESS_TOKEN")
access_secret = os.getenv("TWITTER_ACCESS_SECRET")

auth = OAuth(
  token=access_token,
  token_secret=access_secret,
  consumer_key=consumer_key,
  consumer_secret=consumer_secret
)
t = Twitter(auth=auth)

# Followers -------------------------------------------------------------------

followers = []
cursor = -1
count = 3000

while cursor != 0:
  response = t.followers.ids(cursor=cursor, count=count)
  followers = followers + response["ids"]
  cursor = response["next_cursor"]
  time.sleep(random.uniform(0, 1))

sys.stderr.write("You have %d followers\n"%(len(followers)))

# Following -------------------------------------------------------------------

following = []
cursor = -1
count = 3000

while cursor != 0:
  response = t.friends.ids(cursor=cursor, count=count)
  following = following + response["ids"]
  cursor = response["next_cursor"]
  time.sleep(random.uniform(0, 1))

sys.stderr.write("You are following %d accounts\n"%(len(following)))

# Unfollow --------------------------------------------------------------------

unfollow = [account for account in following if not account in followers]

sys.stderr.write("You are following %d accounts that do not follow you back\n"%(len(unfollow)))

for i in range(len(unfollow)):
    if i == 0:
        sys.stdout.write("id\taccount\tname\n")
    if i == 500:
        sys.stderr.write("Unfollowed 500 accounts. This is the rate limit for a 24 hour period\n")
        break

    unfollowed = t.friendships.destroy(user_id=unfollow[i])
    sys.stdout.write("%d\t%s\t%s\n"%(unfollowed["id"], unfollowed["screen_name"], unfollowed["name"]))
    time.sleep(random.uniform(0, 1))

if len(unfollow) > 0:
    sys.stderr.write("You unfollowed %d accounts that do not follow you back\n"%(i))