Musk removes news titles shared on X – 10/05/2023 – Tech

Links and press articles shared on platform X, formerly Twitter, now only appear with an image, without a title or description. The widespread interface change between October 3 and 4 had already been detected by some media outlets during a test in mid-August.

At the time, Twitter owner Elon Musk said he would improve the aesthetics of the social network. “This comes directly from me. The aesthetic [da rede social] will be greatly improved,” he wrote.

Since purchasing the social network, however, the billionaire owner of Tesla and Starlink has been accused of maintaining a hostile attitude towards media outlets. Many of them announced that they were leaving the platform.

The change is retroactive and also applies to links shared in the past.

When a user shares news, only the name of the vehicle appears in the bottom left corner of the illustrative image. To access the content, you must click on this image.

Elon Musk, who bought the social network last year, is trying to stem the decline in its advertising revenue by encouraging users to spend more time on the platform and share fewer external links.

On October 3, Elon Musk stated that he “virtually never consulted the traditional press.” “What’s the point in reading 1,000 words about something that was already shared on X several days before?” he commented.

In September, however, the European Commission presented a study that indicated that X, which withdrew from the EU (European Union) code of good practice on disinformation, is the platform that has “the highest rate of false information and disinformation in their publications.”

In recent months, X was also reported to the French court by the AFP news agency and three French press groups, who intend to obtain information to negotiate remuneration for the use of its content, even if they are excerpts from news.