Users of Twitter are no longer allowed to share some links to Mastodon, a social media competitor.
Mastodon is organized into servers, or groups, based on a variety of topics, such as the UK, snooker, and security.
Links to some of the biggest servers that users would join, including the most well-known "social" channel, have been blocked by Twitter.
Additionally, Twitter is banning users from including links to their Mastodon accounts in their bios because they are considered "malware."
The claim that Mastodon contains malware or malicious software that can harm your device, is categorically unsupported by any evidence.
Hundreds of thousands of new users joined Mastodon in November, according to the social media platform, as some Twitter users looked for substitutes.
The most popular mastodon.social server and more than 10 others, including a server for journalists and one for UK residents, are not accessible to the BBC.
There are workarounds, though not all links to Mastodon have been blocked.
Because it is not a clickable link, Zoe Kleinman, the BBC's technology editor, was able to tweet a reference to her Mastodon account, zsk@mastodonapp.uk.
It is impossible to post the reference as a clickable link to her Mastodon profile afterward.
Neither the number nor the rationale behind Twitter's blocking of Mastodon servers is known.
An error message that reads: "We can't complete this request because this link has been identified by Twitter or our partners as being potentially harmful" will be displayed to users who attempt to post links to blocked servers.
Twitter has taken action against its competitor's main account in addition to blocking specific links to Mastodon.
On Thursday, several well-known journalists who were covering Twitter founder Elon Musk were also unexpectedly suspended, along with the Twitter account @joinmastodon, which promoted the website and its features.
Due to this, the EU has threatened sanctions against Mr. Musk and warned that compliance with the EU's Digital Services Act requires respect for media freedom.
"Elon Musk ought to be conscious of that. Red lines are present. sanctions, shortly, "Tweeted she.
The live sharing of location information was the reason for the journalists' ban, a Twitter spokesperson told the technology website The Verge.
After threatening to sue the owner of a Twitter account that tracked his private jet, Mr. Musk did as he was told. Additionally, this account has been suspended.
Mastodon's suspension hasn't been explained, but there is a coincidence in timing: a few hours prior, @joinmastodon shared a link identifying the user who is tracking Elon Musk's jet on a competing social media platform.
There is "no reason," according to Will Moy, CEO of the fact-checking organization Full Fact, for "a general block on Mastodon."
He said it was worrying that a crucially important social media company like Twitter seemed to be making erratic and unaccountable choices that affected what we could all view and share online.
"We have to be serious about holding that power to account if we're serious about defending our democracy and realizing the powerful influence that social media can have in influencing our democratic debate."
Twitter and Mastodon have been contacted by the BBC for comment.
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