Elon Musk confirms that X deprioritises posts with links to discourage 'lazy linking'

Elon Musk has confirmed that posts containing links in their main text are deprioritized on X, sparking renewed criticism that the platform is restricting the visibility and access to external sources of information. User Paul Graham, who has nearly two million followers, complained on Sunday that "Twitter’s biggest flaw" was the "deprioritization of tweets with links in them." In response, Musk suggested a workaround: "Just write a description in the main post and put the link in the reply. This just stops lazy linking."

Musk’s comment aligns with previous guidance from X, which encourages users to post native content, such as videos and articles, directly to the platform rather than linking to third-party sites. The rationale appears to be an attempt to increase user engagement within X’s ecosystem and discourage users from leaving the platform. However, the revelation has renewed scrutiny of Musk’s past use of the technology to manage narratives or settle personal scores.

This news arrives amid growing concern from media outlets and press freedom advocates, particularly in Europe, who have accused the platform of enabling disinformation and promoting harmful content. The backlash intensified when prominent outlets like The Guardian announced their departure from X, describing it as a "toxic" information space and criticising Musk’s influence.

In August 2023, a Washington Post analysis revealed that X had imposed delays on links to rival platforms like Facebook, Bluesky, and Substack, as well as news outlets such as the New York Times. These delays, routed through X’s t.co domain, reportedly reduced traffic to targeted websites, potentially affecting their ad revenue. The New York Times expressed concern at the time about "targeted pressure applied to any news organization for unclear reasons." Substack’s founders similarly criticized the practice, stating that such behaviour undermines creators’ ability to sustain independent platforms.