Elon Musk-owned social media platform X (formerly Twitter) will soon be introducing a new feature that will allow users to disable links in replies to their posts. The feature has not been officially announced and the reason for its introduction is unclear, but it is most likely an attempt to combat the prevalence of spam bots on the platform, which often reply to users’ posts and leave self-promoting links.
The initial issue was first spotted by independent app researcher Nima Ouji and later confirmed by Christopher Stanley, Senior Director of Security Engineering at X, in a response to a post. Stanley responded to a post about the new features, saying, “My team built this.
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The feature could be a relief for users who are tired of spambots posting irrelevant links in their replies, but it could also be a hindrance for those who are fact-checking to limit the reach of their posts. Either way, it remains to be seen whether the new link blocking feature will be available to free users or, like all other features the platform has recently announced, will be limited to X’s paid users.
Notably, tackling the threat of spam bots has been one of Musk’s main priorities since taking office: In a post on X earlier this year, Musk said that a “systematic cleanup of bots and trolls is underway” and that the social media platform will track down those responsible for these bots and “will bring them to the full force of the law.”
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Meanwhile, the billionaire has been testing a “Not a Bot” program for new users in the Philippines and New Zealand, where new users must pay a yearly fee of $1 to use basic features such as replying, liking and bookmarking posts.
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