Twitter prohibits its users from publishing links to competing online platforms. “All free advertising” for certain other networks will be removed from posts and user accounts, the company of high-tech multi-billionaire Elon Musk said on Sunday. The ban applies to links to Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon and Truth Social, among others. Violators face the temporary suspension of their Twitter accounts.
The affected network Truth Social belongs to former US President Donald Trump. Trump was banned from Twitter after his supporters stormed the Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021, but his account was recently unblocked.
The latest link ban on Twitter is one of several innovations, some of which are highly controversial, since the takeover of the online service for 44 billion dollars (around 41 billion euros) by Tesla boss Musk this year.
The multi-billionaire likes to present himself as a pioneer in the fight for freedom of speech. One of the reasons why Musk bought Twitter was that alleged censorship on the platform had to be ended. Recently, however, he caused outrage by temporarily blocking the user accounts of several US journalists.