San Francisco: Twitter announced on Sunday that it will no longer allow users to promote their accounts on several rival social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, but the site’s owner Elon Musk A few hours later, the new policy appeared to be backtracking.
The sudden change in rules was the latest in a series of controversial changes Musk has made since he took over the company in October — upheavals that have led to a growing number of users encouraging followers to view his posts on other sites. .
The unlikely billionaire even put his future as CEO of Twitter up for a vote.
“Should I step down as head of Twitter?” he tweeted, asking the site’s users to click yes or no.
“I will abide by the results of this referendum,” he added, adding that the vote is open until early Monday.
Twitter announced that the company “will no longer allow free advertising of certain Social media platforms“
“At both the Tweet level and the account level, we will remove any free advertising from prohibited third-party social media platforms, such as linking out (ie URL’s) to any of the following platforms on Twitter. usage), or providing your handle URL,” the company explained in a statement.
This will prevent users from, for example, posting “Follow me @username” on Instagram, Twitter said.
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey questioned the new policy with a one-word tweet: “Why?”
After some notable accounts were suspended under the new policy, including tech investor Paul Graham, Musk tweeted that instead of looking at individual tweets, the policy would be limited to “suspending accounts when that account * The primary* objective is to advertise competitors.”
He later said: “Going forward, there will be a vote for major policy changes. My apologies. It won’t happen again.”
Changes under Kasturi
The move was the latest in a growing series of controversies during Musk’s short tenure at Twitter’s helm, including the firing, reinstatement and suspension of some far-right accounts. Many journalists.
Shortly after taking over the platform, it announced that the site would charge $8 per month to verify the identity of account holders, but had to suspend the “Twitter Blue” plan after an embarrassing backlash of fake accounts. It has since been relaunched.
On November 4, with Musk saying the company was losing $4 million a day, Twitter laid off half of its 7,500-strong staff.
Musk also reinstated former President Donald Trump’s account and said Twitter would no longer act to combat COVID-19 misinformation.
In recent days, it has suspended the accounts of several journalists – most recently, The Washington Post Reporter Taylor Lorenz – After complaining some had given details about his movements. Zati ship Which could put his family in danger.
Suspension of Journalists – Employees of CNN, The New York Times And The Washington Post Those affected included – have drawn heavy criticism, including from the European Union and the United Nations.
The US Federal Trade Commission said it was monitoring developments on Twitter “with deep concern”.
The Washington Post Executive editor Sally Buzby said the suspension of Lorenz’s account “further undermines Elon Musk’s claim that he intends to run Twitter as a platform dedicated to free speech.”
Some suspended accounts have since been reactivated.