Substack, a popular new platform that has recently emerged, made a major announcement this week about how people will use its content when sharing it on Twitter. Starting on April 15th, people will no longer be able to ReTweet, Like or Reply to Substack links when they are shared on the social media platform.
The move to restrict Twitter engagement with its content seems to be a way for Substack to take more control of how its users interact with their own content. It’s an effort to ensure more of its content is seen and shared directly on its own platform.
Critics of the move say that it limits the ability for users to share content organically and engage with their followers. This is especially true for Substack content creators who rely on Twitter to get the word out about their work.
It’s important to keep in mind that this move doesn’t totally prevent users from engaging with Substack links on Twitter, they just can’t do it directly through the platform. Instead, users can still share the content directly via an embed code, provided by Substack, or even through a screenshot of the content. While this may seem like an extra step, it is still possible to engage with Substack content while on Twitter.
Ultimately, it looks like Substack is continuing to tighten its grip on how people share its content and how they interact with not just its users, but its content as well. While the decision may limit how users engage with Substack links, it does seem like the move is more about ensuring that more of its content is seen on its platform first and foremost.
