Users of Elon Musk's X app have regained the
ability to send links to “Signal.me” -- a URL used by the encrypted messaging app Signal -- two days after the blog “Disruptionist” reported the blocks, noting federal
whistleblowers’ frequent use of the service to report Musk-run DOGE activity.
“We can't complete this request because this link has been identified by X or our partners as being
potentially harmful,” read one failure prompt when attempting to post a “Signal.me” link on X, which include direct messages, public posts, and profile pages.
Another
automated response stated that X was trying to “protect” its users “from spam and other malicious activity.”
In recent weeks, Signal has been used by U.S. federal
workers to securely report sudden, harmful and legally dubious activities of the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), as it targets federal agencies, including NASA and the Department
of Education.
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As part of Musk's push to cut government spending under the appointment of President Donald Trump, employees across more than two dozen federal government departments were
abruptly fired on Valentine's Day, leaving thousands of workers devastated and without work.
Despite Musk's repeated commitment to “free speech,” this is not the first time a
Musk-owned entity has unexpectedly blocked links on competing digital communication platforms.
In 2023, Musk's microblogging platform -- then known as Twitter -- began
censoring links to online newsletter platform Substack, showing users an error
message when they tried to like, reply, comment or retweet.
Around that time, X also stated that it would “remove accounts created solely for the purpose of promoting other social platforms
and content created solely for the purpose of promoting other social platforms and content that contains links or usernames” for Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, Truth Social, Tribal, Nostr and
Post.
Beyond links, Musk has also attempted to cut down on the flow of information on X by suspending the accounts of leading journalists from The New York Times,
The Washington Post, Mashable, and other reputable news publications.
Although X users have now regained the ability to send Signal.me links, it has become clear how Musk's influence
over the spread of public information coincides directly with his involvement in the U.S. federal government.