Twitter announced on Sunday that it would no longer allow users to promote their accounts on several competing social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, but Elon Musk, the site’s mercurial owner, appeared just hours later from the withdraw from the new policy. The sudden rule change was the latest in a series of controversial changes Musk has made since he acquired the company in October — a shift that has prompted a growing number of users to encourage followers to view their posts on other sites.
The unpredictable billionaire even set his future twitters CEO to vote. “Should I step down as Twitter boss?” He tweeted, asking users of the site to click yes or no. “I will abide by the results of this poll,” he added, with voting open until the wee hours of Monday morning.
Twitter had announced that the company would “no longer allow free advertising on certain social media platforms”.
“Both at the tweet level and at the account level, we will remove any free advertising for prohibited third-party social media platforms, such as URL,” the company said in a statement.
For example, users would be prevented from posting “Follow me @username on Instagram,” Twitter said.
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey questioned the new policy with a one-word tweet: “Why?”
Meanwhile, software engineer and Wikipedia editor Molly White pointed out that Twitter had removed its policy page for sharing links to third-party platforms on the microblogging service, along with tweets from its support handle announcing the policy change would.
After some notable accounts were banned under the new policy, including tech investor Paul Graham, Musk tweeted that instead of considering individual tweets, the policy is limited to “only banning accounts if it’s an account.” primary The purpose is to promote competitors.”
He later said: “In the future there will be a vote on major policy changes. I apologize. Will not happen again.”
Twitter support also released a poll asking users if the service should have a policy “preventing the creation or use of existing accounts for the primary purpose of promoting other social media platforms.”
Should we have a policy preventing the creation or use of existing accounts for the primary purpose of promoting other social media platforms?
– Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) December 19, 2022
Changes under Musk
The move was the latest in a growing series of controversies sparked by musk in his brief tenure at the helm of Twitter, including firings, the reinstatement of some far-right accounts, and the suspension of several journalists.
Shortly after taking over the platform, he announced the site would charge $8 (around Rs. 660) a month to verify account holders’ identities, but had to abandon the “Twitter Blue” plan after an embarrassing Expose flood of fake accounts. It has since been reissued.
On November 4, when Musk said the company was losing $4 million (about Rs.3.3 billion) a day, Twitter laid off half of its 7,500 employees.
Musk also restored the former president’s account donald trump and said Twitter would no longer work to combat disinformation about Covid-19.
In recent days, he has suspended the accounts of several journalists – most recently Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz – after complaining that some had leaked details about his private jet’s movements that could endanger his family.
The suspension of the journalists – including staff from CNN, the New York Times and the Washington Post – has drawn harsh criticism, including from the European Union and the United Nations.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said it was following developments on Twitter “with great concern.”
Washington Post Editor-in-Chief Sally Buzbee said the suspension of Lorenz’s account “undermines Elon Musk’s claim that he intends to operate Twitter as a platform for free speech.”
Some of the suspended accounts have since been reactivated.
