Twitter bans all links to FB, Insta, Mastodon & other rivals on its platform

Censoring other social media companies on its platform, Elon Musk-owned Twitter on Sunday announced it will no longer allow users to promote their presence on Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, Truth Social, Tribel, Nostr, and Post -- a move that has irked 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".

The company said that it will remove accounts created solely for the purpose of promoting other social platforms and content that contains links or usernames for the following platforms: 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.

"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.