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X, formerly known as Twitter, strips headlines from news articles shared by users

Instead of seeing a headline along with a picture, users now see only a picture with a small watermark.

ELON MUSK’S SOCIAL media platform X has stripped headlines from news articles shared by users, in a move likely to further worsen relations with media groups.

The tycoon has long railed against the “legacy media” and claims X, formerly Twitter, is a better source of information.

However, he said the latest change was for “aesthetic” reasons – news and other links now appear only as pictures with no accompanying text.

Musk took over Twitter last year in a $44 billion deal and has since renamed it X, sacked thousands of staff and drawn criticism for allowing banned conspiracy theorists and extremists back on the platform, sending advertisers fleeing.

He has also banned – and reinstated – various journalists with mainstream outlets including the Washington Post and CNN, as well as appearing to delay posts from accounts including the New York Times.

Some media groups have stopped posting to X altogether.

AFP and other French news outlets launched a legal case in early August accusing X of copyright breaches.

“I almost never read legacy news anymore,” Musk posted on Tuesday.

“What’s the point of reading 1,000 words about something that was already posted on X several days ago?”

When the changes to links were first mooted in August, he posted: “This is coming from me directly. Will greatly improve the esthetics.”

The most recent changes appear to have been introduced gradually this week.

Instead of seeing a headline along with a picture, users now see only a picture with a small watermark.

Some users have already commented that it is now difficult to distinguish between news and other kinds of information, which is likely to raise questions about the trustworthiness of the site.

In September, the European Commission said X had a higher ratio of misinformation and disinformation than any other social media.

© AFP 2023

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    Mute Diarmuid O'Braonáin
    Favourite Diarmuid O'Braonáin
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    Jan 24th 2023, 5:01 PM

    No state or semi state body should be selling land or any asset which is owned by the people of Ireland to foreign investment funds. We have vulture funds and cukoo funds that were given the red carpet when they arrived and the poorer people in society suffer while at the same time loop holes being left in place where they pay zero tax on profits. The land coillte is selling dosen’t belong to them it belongs to the people of Ireland. Can you imagine what the people who fought for Irish Independence would think of all this.

    If anyone thinks this is a good idea. Look at it like this. The biggest lake in the UK and Ireland in Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland and its privately owned by one guy, Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, 12th Earl of Shaftesbury who lives in Dorset. How can one guy own a lake? Lakes and rivers should be the property of the state owned by the people of that country. Coillte are gonna go backwards doing the same with our forestry.

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    Mute cathalsurfs
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    Jan 24th 2023, 5:06 PM

    @Diarmuid O’Braonáin: We’ll see how long your comment lasts on here. Let that be an indication of the level of backwardness. The Windsor Family (royals) are in receipt of one of the largest payments for agricultural land under CAP.

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    Mute Colm Molloy
    Favourite Colm Molloy
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    Jan 24th 2023, 4:44 PM

    Take 200million from the property tax or rainy day fund and buy the land for the Irish people or the Irish state.

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    Mute Pauline Cahill
    Favourite Pauline Cahill
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    Jan 24th 2023, 4:49 PM

    Selling our land back to the English government would sell anything for money they have no loyalty

    239
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    Mute cathalsurfs
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    Jan 24th 2023, 4:57 PM

    We should be fining the brits for stripping our land of our Native Oak not so long ago. Not selling off to them. Coillte is state owned. Let that sink in.

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    Mute Diarmuid O'Braonáin
    Favourite Diarmuid O'Braonáin
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    Jan 24th 2023, 5:30 PM

    @cathalsurfs: One of the finest Oak forests in Europe was in the blackwater valley. The land was given to him by king or royal in charge. It was cut down and sold. The guy then built himself a big castle…. Lismore Castle…

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
    Favourite thesaltyurchin
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    Jan 24th 2023, 5:42 PM

    Happy for any investment profit to go to the UK but the people who live here can’t buy a car in the UK without giving them 10k. Have to wonder who they’re working for.

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    Mute Philip Cooper
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    Jan 24th 2023, 5:25 PM

    This is not okay on any way.

    Why are these guys always screwing us?

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    Mute Mary Nugent
    Favourite Mary Nugent
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    Jan 24th 2023, 7:44 PM

    Pulp for election posters. We the people, have no say.

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