Twitter Will No Longer Allow External Links To Other Social Media Platforms
Shortly after being chided by the United Nations and European Union over its unprecedented ban on journalists, Twitter has announced yet another round of changes to its network, and as expected, most users aren’t too pleased.
Chief Twit Elon Musk revealed that the platform would prohibit users from sharing links to other social media sites, even going so far as to suspend accounts that attempt to direct traffic to competitors’ networks.
According to CNN, the new rules state that links to content on Meta’s platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, will no longer be allowed. The same will be applied to emerging alternatives to Twitter, such as Mastodon, Post, and Truth Social.
In a now-deleted tweet, the platform specified it would remove accounts “created solely for the purpose of promoting other social platforms and content that contains links or usernames for the following platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, Truth Social, Tribel, Nostr, and Post.”
Policy will be adjusted to suspending accounts only when that account’s *primary* purpose is promotion of competitors, which essentially falls under the no spam rule
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 18, 2022
However, as with other changes before, Musk seems to have tracked back on the ban, making the policy less stringent than initially suggested. Though, many users on the site are now left confused about what links are allowed or could get them booted off the site.
Replying to Box CEO Aaron Levie, who said the new policy was “sad,” Musk agreed it was “reasonable” that users may choose to link their Instagram or Facebook profiles on Twitter in order to promote their businesses.
“Policy will be adjusted to suspending accounts only when that account’s *primary* purpose is promotion of competitors, which essentially falls under the no spam rule,” Musk later clarified, adding that in the future, there will be a vote for “major policy changes.”
To add more fuel to the fire, the CEO then issued a poll on Twitter asking if he should step down as the head of the site, promising that he would “abide by the results of the poll.” As it stands, over nine million users have voted, with “yes” at 56% and “no” at 44%.
Should I step down as head of Twitter? I will abide by the results of this poll.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 18, 2022
[via CNN and Reuters, cover image via Sedovukr | Dreamstime.com]
