Musk wants to remove headlines from articles shared on X

Elon Musk, the owner of the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, is testing the removal of headlines from articles shared on the site. The change was first reported by Fortune and later confirmed by Musk.

Under the proposed change, posts would feature only the lead image and the URL of the article, unless additional text is added by the person or publisher sharing the link. The image would continue to serve as a clickable link to the article.

Musk stated that the change aims to improve the aesthetics of the platform. Additional reasons cited include reducing the height of individual posts to display more content on users' timelines and curbing clickbait. However, experts think that this move is part of Elon Musk's broader scheme to encourage journalists to post directly on X.

Advertisers, who were consulted about the change, have expressed reservations, according to sources. There is no confirmed timetable for the rollout, nor is there confirmation that the feature will be implemented.

The move has the potential to affect how news is consumed and shared on the platform, and could set a precedent for other social media sites.