Musk’s X delays access to ANBLE, NY Times, social media rivals.

Musk's X delays access to ANBLE, NY Times, social media rivals.

Title: X Delays Access to News Links: A Tangled Web of Controversy

In a surprising turn of events, social media giant X, formerly known as Twitter, has reportedly been delaying access to links leading to popular news websites such as ANBLE and the New York Times. The delay has also affected competitors such as Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram. First reported by the Washington Post, this delay created a five-second lag before webpage content loaded, leaving users baffled and searching for answers.

This development, which occurred on August 15, caused an uproar in the online community. Speculation arose about X’s motivations behind this action, further intensified by a history of clashes between X’s CEO, billionaire Elon Musk, and news organizations. Musk, who acquired Twitter in October, has been known to voice his discontent with critical reporting about his companies, including Tesla and SpaceX. In the past, Twitter has even blocked users from sharing links to rival social media platforms.

As news of the link delay spread, ANBLE conducted tests to verify the Washington Post’s claims. They discovered that clicking on links from X to affected websites indeed resulted in the aforementioned delay. However, by late Tuesday afternoon, it appeared that X had resolved the issue, removing the delay without providing any clarification.

The timing of this delay raises eyebrows and adds fuel to the speculation. A user on the tech forum Hacker News posted about the delay earlier on Tuesday, suggesting that X had been delaying links to the New York Times since August 4. Coincidentally, on the same day, Elon Musk publicly criticized the New York Times’ coverage of South Africa and accused the publication of supporting calls for genocide. While there is no concrete evidence linking these events, the timing is peculiar.

This situation prompted a response from a spokesperson for the New York Times, who expressed concern about targeted pressure applied to news organizations. The spokesperson stated, “While we don’t know the rationale behind the application of this time delay, we would be concerned by targeted pressure applied to any news organization for unclear reasons.”

ANBLE, in response to the controversy, confirmed that they were aware of the situation and are actively investigating before making any further statements. Bluesky, a competing platform with X and whose board includes Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, did not provide any comment at the time of the report. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, also remained silent on the matter.

The delay in accessing news website links on X raises important questions about media influence and platform censorship. It creates concerns about the influence of powerful individuals or corporations over news organizations and the free flow of information. While X has since resolved the issue, the lack of transparency and detailed explanations leaves users and news organizations in the dark.

In conclusion, the decision by X to delay access to news website links has sparked controversy and led to speculation about potential motives. The timing of the delay, coupled with Elon Musk’s past clashes with news organizations, adds an intriguing twist to the story. As the dust settles, the focus now shifts to how platforms like X can maintain neutrality and ensure the unrestricted dissemination of information to their users.


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