Musk's Ban On Mention Of Other Sites On Twitter A Mistake: Legal Expert

Twitter CEO Elon Musk has stirred yet more controversy by announcing a new policy that will end rival platforms' ability to give themselves "free promotion" on his social media site, Brad Reed reported for Raw Story.

Photo Insert: Musk said the move is to prevent free promotion by other platforms.

Specifically, the Twitter Support account stated that "we 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."

In a tweet justifying the new policy, Musk argued that he could no longer allow "relentless free advertising of competitors" on his social media platform, while then adding that "no traditional publisher allows this and neither will Twitter."

The Wrap, HuffPost, and Insider also reported on the issue.

Former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti told Musk and Twitter that social media platforms are not traditional publishers, who have civil and criminal legal liability for the things that they publish. Mariotti added that if Twitter decides to classify itself as a traditional publisher, it would be legally liable for every tweet that is posted on the website.

"It appears that you admit that you’re a publisher for purposes of Section 230 of Title 47 of the United States Code," Mariotti explained to Musk.

"Have you thought about the consequences of the positions you’re taking, or are you just winging it?" Éric Freyssinet, the deputy director of France's Cyberspace Gendarmerie Command, similarly warned Musk that his company could lose protections against both civil and criminal legal liabilities if it really enforces this policy.

"Any attempt to remove my tweets that link to my other social media accounts, not violating any law, would actually make Twitter an editorial media, and no longer a social media platform, with civil and criminal liability for *any* illegal content therein," he explained.

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