Elon Musk’s social media platform X has removed headlines from news articles shared by users, a move likely to further strain relations with media groups.
The billionaire entrepreneur has persistently criticized the “legacy media” and asserts that X, formerly known as Twitter, provides a superior source of information.
However, Musk stated that the latest alteration was primarily for “aesthetic” purposes. News and other links on the platform now appear solely as images with no accompanying text.
Musk’s acquisition of Twitter last year in a $44 billion deal resulted in the platform being renamed X. Since then, he has implemented significant changes, including the termination of thousands of employees, which garnered criticism for permitting banned conspiracy theorists and extremists back on the platform, causing advertisers to withdraw their support.
Additionally, Musk has alternately banned and reinstated various journalists from mainstream outlets such as the Washington Post and CNN. He has also been observed delaying posts from accounts, including the New York Times. Consequently, some media groups have ceased posting on X altogether.
In early August, AFP and other French news outlets initiated a legal case against X, accusing it of copyright infringements. Musk’s recent statement on Tuesday reflects his diminishing reliance on traditional news sources: “I almost never read legacy news anymore. What’s the point of reading 1,000 words about something that was already posted on X several days ago?”
When the proposed changes to links were initially discussed in August, Musk remarked, “This is coming directly from me. It will significantly enhance the aesthetics.” The most recent modifications, introduced gradually this week, involve displaying only a picture with a small watermark, rather than a headline alongside an image.
Some users have already expressed concerns that it has become challenging to distinguish between news and other types of information on the platform. This is likely to raise questions about the site’s credibility. In September, the European Commission reported that X had a higher ratio of misinformation and disinformation than any other social media platform.