You can post URLs on your Insta posts, it's just not a clickable link. Twitter's policy is any text that describes other social media sites is banned, including trying to get around it by using "dot" ("instagram dot com/user" is banned on Twitter).

This isn't really the same as Insta.

To be fair - it looks like twitter is also banning links in bio here?

Since they're banning Linktree (which exists primarily for that purpose) it sounds like they are. I hate that Twitter is turning into a closed platform like Instagram.

To be fair, this started way before Elon. Yes you could link to individual posts but as soon as you read through the direct reply a soft paywall comes up. Your experience as signed out user was - and still is - awful.

Requiring user sign-ins is a little bit different than banning all mention of other social media websites existing.

Yes, absolutely. I’m not equating the two. But I do think that requiring sign-in for “town square” public discussions is.. questionable. Imo, Twitter (and others, they’re not at all alone) want to enjoy all the benefits of being an open platform, but doesn’t want to deal with the implications.

Didn't Elon say he was gonna stop those walls?

"Another thing is also bad!" does not justify the first thing being bad.