Twitter bans posting of handles and links to Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon and more (Updated)

(updated Dec 19, 2022 8:40 AM IST): Twitter removed tweets announcing policy prohibiting people from posting handles and links to other social networks . The company also silently removed the policy page that detailed these rules. Meanwhile, the Twitter Safety account has launched a poll asking users if the company should develop a policy on accounts used solely to promote other social networks.

After Twitter changed its policy, it received a lot of criticism. In a response to a user, Musk clarified that the policy will be adjusted to suspend accounts whose sole purpose is to promote other social networks. However, Twitter has not made any official announcement about it.

Original story follows

As people around the world watched a thrilling FIFA World Cup final, Twitter decided to drop a bombshell and banned links promoting other social networks. The list currently includes Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, Truth Social, Tribel, Nostr and Post. Additionally, in-bio linking tools like Linktree and Lnk.Bio are also prohibited - these services are commonly used by creators and businesses. Essentially, you can't post links to your other social profiles or even type your username in a tweet.

The Elon Musk-owned company “no longer allows certain social media platforms to be promoted for free” on Twitter. The company said it removes all accounts "created solely for the purpose of promoting other social networks." It also plans to remove links to content from the social platforms mentioned above.

"We know that many of our users may be active on other social media platforms; however, in the future, Twitter will no longer allow free promotion of specific social media platforms on Twitter," said the social platform on its policy page.

Twitter will require you to delete tweets if you link your credentials and multiple violations of this policy will result in a temporary account lockout. The company said that if you have links to any of these platforms in your bio, it will temporarily suspend your account and ask you to edit your bio.

What's interesting here is that the company run by Musk will let you post your ID if you pay to promote the tweet.

On Saturday evening, Twitter suspended the account of Washington Post journalist Taylor Lorenz. Lorenz had recently deleted all of her tweets and only had three posts on her account: two promoting her other social media accounts and one asking Musk to comment on a story she's been working on with fellow writer Drew Harwell. Post. Harwell, along with journalists like The New York Times' Ryan Mac and CNN's Donie O'Sullivan, have been temporarily suspended after posting about how Mastodon's Twitter was banned for linking to the Elon Jet Mastodon account. He and other journalists were reinstated after Musk released a poll for users to vote on the fate of journalists.

When Lorenz posted her other IDs on social media and was suspended, this policy did not yet exist. As of press time, his account appears to have been reinstated.