Angela Beltran Tech 12.18.2022 22:Dec PM EST

Twitter Will Start Suspending Users who Post Links to Other Social Media Sites

Despite the promises of Twitter being supportive of free speech, it appears to be more restrictive than ever. The social media platform no longer allows the promotion of other social media platforms via links since Twitter CEO Elon Musk enforced it.

Yet Another Policy

The company is implementing a new policy that bans the promotion of its social media competitors. Since it was announced, people can no longer add links that lead to Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, Tribel, Post, Nostr, and Truth Social.

This means streamers, content creators, and others can no longer add links in their bios that lead to their other accounts. The policy also restricts Twitter users from inviting their followers to subscribe or follow them on other sites.

Attempts to circumvent the policy by using third-party aggregators like Linktree and Link.bio or other means will be considered a violation. That includes cloaking URLs. as mentioned in Engadget. Repeated violations may cause the user's account to be suspended permanently.

Users will still be allowed to post content that came from other platforms as a way of providing "alternative experiences." Paid promotions are also exempt from the policy that does not allow the promotions of the mentioned social media sites.

Paul Graham, the founder of Y Combinator, proved that the policy was already in effect as his account was suspended for violating the policy. He expressed that he was done with Twitter and shared his Mastodon account on the platform, despite supporting Musk's acquisition of the platform.

In Case You Missed The Other New Policy

The tech billionaire has been busy with his new company by implementing policies left and right to go with his vision for the new Twitter. One of the most recent ones is the suspension of accounts that mentioned anything associated with Jack Sweeney.

Sweeney is the man behind the @ElonJet account, which tracks the whereabouts of Elon Musk's private jet. The account has long been suspended as well as Sweeney's main Twitter account.

The anti-doxxing policy comes after Musk claimed that a stalker followed his car where his two-year-old son X was, thinking it was him. He added that the stalker blocked the car and climbed onto the hood, as mentioned by Gizmodo.

As a result, Musk has taken legal action against Sweeney as well as organizations that supported harm to his family. He also mentioned that posting real-time location information of anyone was a physical safety violation, which is already an existing Twitter policy.

This led to several accounts being banned as well, specifically journalists who mentioned anything about the new anti-doxxing policy. Even Mastodon has been suspended on the platform for sharing a link that showed the real-time location of Musk's private jet.

Matt Binder from Mashable simply retweeted a post that stated that X was not actually followed by someone, which got his account suspended. In a tweet, Musk mentioned that it was okay to criticize him, but endangering his family because of doxxing was not.