Twitter stops users from sharing links to Instagram, Mastodon, deletes policy after facing backlash from users

After suspending the Twitter accounts of Koo and Mastadon, Elon Musk has decided that Twitter will no longer allow users to share links to posts on other social media platforms. Twitter’s latest revised policy says that it will take strict action against users that violate this policy “at both the Tweet level and the account level.” In all probability, users who try to post links to these platforms, will be shadowbanned or banned in general.

This basically meant that users could not share links of their posts or their profiles on other social media platforms, on Twitter, either in the form of a Tweet, or even in the form of a field in their bio’s. The policy doesn’t just include links from other platforms, either; it even extends to posting usernames or handles from competing platforms without URLs.

What has been puzzling about the new policy, is the fact that Musk, soon took to Twitter, saying that “Casually sharing occasional links is fine, but no more relentless advertising of competitors for free.” Twitter also says that posts that have been boosted or sponsored by these platforms, will be allowed on the platform. “Twitter should be easy to use, but no more relentless free advertising of competitors,” said Musk, while adding that “No traditional publisher allows this and neither will Twitter.”

Casually sharing occasional links is fine, but no more relentless advertising of competitors for free, which is absurd in the extreme

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 18, 2022

Twitter may also suspend accounts “used for the main purpose of promoting content on another social platform,” and will no longer allow users to link to third-party link aggregators, like Linktree or Lnk.bio.

Twitter says it will remove any tweets that contain violations of the policy, and could temporarily suspend users with links to banned social platforms in their profiles. It will also take action against users who try to get around this policy by cloaking URLs to other platforms or “spelling out “dot” for social media platforms that use ‘.’ in the names to avoid URL creation, or sharing screenshots of your handle on a prohibited social media platform.”

What is even stranger is that Twitter is only going after selective social media platforms. Other platforms, like Telegram, TikTok, YouTube, Weibo, and OnlyFans remain safe from the Twitter ban for now, and the motivation behind banning links to certain networks and not others isn’t clear.

Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter also weighed in, saying that the new policy makes no sense at all.

doesn’t make sense

— jack (@jack) December 18, 2022

After many Twitter users, some of whom prominently support Musk, spoke up against this policy. witter deleted its controversial new policy on Sunday evening that had banned links to certain other social media platforms, less than 24 hours after the policy’s initial introduction.

The development comes shortly after company owner Elon Musk launched a Twitter poll asking users whether he should step down as head of the platform.

Following an immense backlash against the policy, Twitter removed the blog post that had outlined which rival sites users would be prohibited from tweeting links to, including Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon and Truth Social. It also deleted a tweet thread from its @TwitterSupport account that had announced the policy earlier in the day.

Instead, Twitter’s official account, @TwitterSafety, is now running a poll asking users whether the platform should “have a policy preventing the creation of or use of existing accounts for the main purpose of advertising other social media platforms.”

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