The Washington PostThe Washington Post

Elon Musk's X is throttling traffic to websites he dislikes

By Jeremy B. Merrill and Drew Harwell

16 Aug 2023 · 4 min read

informed Summary

  1. The company formerly known as Twitter, now called X, has been slowing down the speed at which users can access links to certain websites, including the New York Times, Facebook, and other online competitors. This move appears to be targeted at companies that have drawn criticism from its owner, Elon Musk.

The company formerly known as Twitter has been slowing the speed with which users could access links to the New York Times, Facebook and other news organizations and online competitors, a move that appeared targeted at companies that have drawn the ire of owner Elon Musk.

Users who clicked a link on Musk's website, now called X, for one of the targeted websites were made to wait about five seconds before seeing the page, according to tests conducted Tuesday by The Washington Post.

Sign in to informed

  • Curated articles from premium publishers, ad-free
  • Concise Daily Briefs with quick-read summaries
  • Read, listen, save for later, or enjoy offline
  • Enjoy personalized content
Or

By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.