Twitter bans links of Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon and other social media platforms

Twitter users can no longer use the micro-blogging site to promote their presence on other social media platforms. Elon Musk-owned Twitter on Sunday announced that it is censoring other social media firms on its platform, irking millions of users. Twitter said that while it recognises that many of its users are active on other social media platforms, "we will no longer allow free promotion of certain social media platforms on Twitter".

Twitter has revealed that it will remove the accounts that have been created solely for the purpose of promoting content posted on Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, Truth Social, Tribel, Nostr, and Post. Twitter will still allow cross-posting content from any social media platform.

"Posting links or usernames to social media platforms not listed above are also not in violation of this policy," said the company. Twitter said it will take action against accounts that violate this policy "at both the Tweet level and the account level." It means users can no longer include a link to their profiles on other social networks in their Twitter bio.

"If violations of this policy are included in your bio and/or account name, we will temporarily suspend your account and require changes to your profile to no longer be in violation. Subsequent violations may result in permanent suspension," said Twitter. The move did not gel well with many Twitter users.

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"This is such a desperate move. Honestly hard to remember the last time a tech company did something this baldly antagonistic to users and just so ? pathetic," tweeted Farhad Manjoo, an opinion columnist at the New York Times.

"He (Musk) must be losing a lot of money. but this whole thing is making him so so small," he added. (with inputs from IANS)