Twitter is blocking links to Mastodon

Twitter is blocking users from tweeting links to many major servers for Mastodon, one of the most notable Twitter alternatives. The ban was enacted sometime during what’s been a chaotic Thursday evening on the platform after journalists and Mastodon’s own account were unexpectedly suspended.

Attempting to tweet many Mastodon links will result in an error message saying, “We can’t complete this request because this link has been identified by Twitter or our partners as being potentially harmful.” Twitter is currently blocking links to the original mastodon.social server and more than half a dozen other domains The Verge tested.

The ban on Mastodon follows the recent controversy around @ElonJet, an account that tracks the whereabouts of Twitter CEO Elon Musk’s private jet. On Wednesday, Twitter suspended the @ElonJet Twitter account and soon after suspended the personal account of the person who manages it. Twitter also introduced a new policy that bans people from sharing live locations.

On Thursday, Mastodon’s Twitter account was suspended, and while we don’t know exactly why, the ban happened soon after the account tweeted a link to @ElonJet’s page on Mastodon.

Twitter didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, though it has dissolved its press office. Mastodon also hasn’t responded to a request for comment.