Twitter Disables Retweets, Likes on Posts With Substack Links
Twitter is now blocking users from retweeting, replying and liking tweets that contain a link to news publishing platform Substack, which is preparing its own microblogging service.
Substack writers began reporting(Opens in a new window) the problem on Friday morning. If you try to retweet, reply or like a tweet that contains a link to a Substack, you’ll encounter an error that says: “Some actions on this Tweet have been disabled by Twitter.”
The move comes a day after Substack writers noticed(Opens in a new window) they could no longer embed tweets in their Substack posts. As a result, many users suspect Twitter’s owner, Elon Musk, is working to thwart a potential rival by cracking down on access to Substack, despite his stance on free speech.
On Wednesday, Substack announced(Opens in a new window) Notes, its own microblogging platform that looks similar to Twitter. The upcoming platform will allow Substack writers to post short-form content, interact with each other’s note, and build a user following.
“Imagine Kareem Abdul-Jabbar leaving a comment on Margaret Atwood’s note about trends in science fiction, or Alison Roman sharing a quote from an amazing recipe developed by a little-known food writer who then gets a flood of subscriptions,” Substack wrote, making it clear Notes could rival Twitter, which relies on tweets from celebrities and journalists to drive user activity.
Substack’s Notes platform will be ad-free and funded through paid subscriptions.
Twitter has yet to comment on the apparent blocking; the company’s email system automatically responds to media inquiries with a poop emoji. But in the meantime, some users are criticizing Musk for suppressing free speech by blocking retweets and likes to
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