Twitter bans users from posting links to other social platforms

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Twitter announced Sunday it was banning users from posting links to their accounts on other social media platforms, the latest move by the company and its controversial owner Elon Musk.  

"At both the Tweet level and the account level, we will remove any free promotion of prohibited 3rd-party social media platforms, such as linking out (i.e. using URLs) to any of the below platforms on Twitter, or providing your handle without a URL," Twitter said in a statement on its website.  

We recognize that many of our users are active on other social media platforms. However, we will no longer allow free promotion of certain social media platforms on Twitter.

— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) December 18, 2022

"We recognize that many of our users are active on other social media platforms. However, we will no longer allow free promotion of certain social media platforms on Twitter," Twitter Support tweeted Sunday.

Those who violate the new rule for the first time may be asked to delete tweets or may have their accounts locked, and "any subsequent offenses will result in permanent suspension," the platform said.

Users who link or mention other social media accounts in their bios or account names will be also violating the rule and will have their accounts temporarily suspended. In order to be reinstated, they will be required to remove the mentions. 

A few days ago, several high-profile journalists with accounts on Twitter who cover the platform's updates and those of its owner, Elon Musk, were suspended on Thursday for doxxing - publishing private information to the public such as personal info and location. 

During a Twitter Space audio discussion, Musk clarified the reason behind the suspension campaign: “You doxx, you get suspended. End of story. That's it.”

This comes after Jack Sweeney, a Twitter account owner, tracked his private jet and after a "crazy stalker" clambered onto the car's hood while his small child was inside and prevented it from moving. 

The Twitter account for Mastodon, which is being described as a Twitter alternative, was also suspended on Thursday evening. Journalists were not able to tweet any links to Mastodon pages, but Mastodon was trending on Twitter.

According to Musk, these are the result of Twitter's new rules prohibiting tracking private jets, in response to a tweet from VP of venture capital firm Founders Fund Mike Solana. Solana pointed out that the now-suspended accounts had published links to track jets. 

It is worth noting that in early November, 'Chief Twit' said he wouldn't be banning the account tracking his private jet, but he suspended the account after a stalker followed the car that had his son 'X' in it. 

The United Nations on Friday disagreed with Elon Musk on suspending the journalists from Twitter after a scandal arose regarding sharing private information about Musk's whereabouts. 

"We are very disturbed by the arbitrary suspension of accounts of journalists that we saw on Twitter. Media voices should not be silenced on a platform that professes to give space for freedom of speech," said spokesman Stephane Dujarric in a briefing.

Dujarric argued that the move is a 'dangerous precedent' at a time when journalists face a lot of censorship around the world, revealing that the UN is in touch with Twitter officials.