Matt Taibbi's account, including the Twitter Files, was shadowbanned for a while after a spat with Elon Musk, preventing users from finding his tweets in search

The refrain to remember with Twitter under Elon Musk: it can always get dumber. — Quick(ish) recap:

Techdirt 2023-04-11 Mike Masnick

Context & Ripple Effects

This episode sits uneasily beside Musk's earlier stated plan to show users when they had been shadowbanned and provide a reason and appeal path: the proposed shadowban disclosure system made search suppression a particularly visible test of platform governance.

It also extends criticism that the Twitter Files project itself could be shaped by owner-led partisan use of the platform, rather than operating at arm's length from Twitter's distribution controls.

First-order effects

Taibbi's posts, including material tied to the Twitter Files, become harder for users to discover through Twitter search while the restriction is in place.
The incident directly weakens the practical reach of a prominent Twitter Files participant after a dispute with the platform's owner.

Second-order effects

A gap between promised shadowban transparency and an alleged undisclosed search restriction can reduce users' confidence in Twitter's explanations of ranking and enforcement decisions.
Journalists and other high-profile publishers must treat on-platform reach as contingent on Twitter's internal distribution decisions, not simply on their follower base or posting activity.

Third-order effects

If owner-level disputes can affect discoverability, Twitter's moderation debate shifts from published rules toward the concentration of distribution power in a privately controlled platform.
The case reinforces pressure for auditable visibility controls and meaningful appeals, though this single incident alone cannot establish how consistently such controls are applied.

The trend: This is one data point in the broader trend of social platforms' ranking and search systems becoming a central source of gatekeeper power over public speech.

Discussion

@ianbetteridge@mastodon.me.uk Ian Betteridge on mastodon
This is an object lesson on why reporters must be careful never to get too close to the subjects of their journalism. Taibbi, maybe unintentionally, traded access for not just a story, but, it seems, the expectation of life-long loyalty. …
@mattbinder Matt Binder on x
Matt Taibbi's Twitter Files tweets haven't been deleted but it appears Twitter is blocking users from searching for any and all of his posts (including his Twitter Files tweets) https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@mattbinder Matt Binder on x
RIP Twitter Files https://twitter.com/...
@digiphile Alex Howard on x
Apt summary from @mmasnick: In 48 hours, we went from @MTaibbi praising @ElonMusk for “supporting free speech,” exposing shadowbanning, & refusing to criticize Musk...to Taibbi leaving Twitter, Musk unfollowing him, & shadowbanning him & his #TwitterFiles. https://www.techdirt.co…
@vilile Vili Lehdonvirta on x
The tech prince who vowed to save us from the evils of shadowbanning just shadowbanned his former mouthpiece https://www.techdirt.com/...
@niubi Bill Bishop on x
Musk's chaotic overreaction to the mere development of Notes served to elevate an unreleased feature, overnight, onto an even footing with one of the most important social feeds in the world. And it will surely mean that more people play close attention https://open.substack.com/…
@joshtpm Josh Marshall on x
The increasing arbitrariness of the stunts makes the place more and more like Elon's tantrum room. But blocking off whole segments of the web, as Newton argues, is just hacking away at the central value proposition for most people. https://twitter.com/...
@titterdaily @titterdaily on x
BREAKING: Conversation between Elon and Matt Taibbi reveal misunderstanding due to Twitter bug. The bug that prevented his Twitter account from being searched has now been fixed. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@mehdirhasan Mehdi Hasan on x
I guess Elon Musk releasing his private DMs with Matt Taibbi kinda clears up once and for all that whole kerfuffle in Congress over whether Musk was Taibbi's source. 🤷🏽‍♂️ It's also a reminder that Musk, a la Trump, is loyal to no one. A lesson Taibbi learned the hard way.
@caseynewton Casey Newton on x
This weekend's events at Twitter made it clearer than ever: Elon Musk has no idea what he is doing https://www.platformer.news/ ... https://twitter.com/...
@fabiochiusi Fabio Chiusi on x
“it's a worrying sign that Musk, the most-followed person on Twitter, is willing to just post what Taibbi likely expected to be private conversations” https://www.theverge.com/...
@strngwys @strngwys on x
Dumb billionaire does dumb billionaire thing without realizing how dumb it makes him look. https://www.techdirt.com/...
@mehdirhasan Mehdi Hasan on x
“It would have been a major optics issue for us both.” - @mtaibbi 👀 https://twitter.com/...
@nberlat Noah Berlatsky on x
did Musk really not understand that Taibbi was working with him because it created a huge flood of income into his substack? https://twitter.com/...
@gnrosenberg @gnrosenberg on x
Twitter's throttling of Taibbi reminds us that the free speech guaranteed only by the pretty words and passing whims of plutocrats is no free speech at all. If your free speech depends on Musk, you're just renting, not owning, and you were a fool to ever think otherwise.
@rayminehane Ray Minehane on x
Still hard to believe Elon musk lied. It's just so out of character https://twitter.com/...
@jonporty @jonporty on x
I won't claim to know how to check if an account has been shadowbanned, but Taibbi's tweets are showing in search just fine for me https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@jamesfourm Jay McKenzie on x
Matt Taibbi previously admitted to discussing the Twitter Files with Musk last December. These private Signal messages give further credence to the theory that Musk was Taibbi's source all along. https://twitter.com/...
@kensilverstein1 Ken Silverstein on x
The precise moment when it dawns on Matt Taibbi, as he grovels before his billionaire patron, that he's been in bed with “a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money.” Karma's truly a bitch.…
@oalexanderdk Oliver Alexander on x
Elon tweeted screenshots of a Signal conversation with Matt Taibbi and then quickly deleted them again. They show that Matt isn't a Substack employee as Elon claimed. It seems like Elon has misunderstood the concept of independent journalists getting paid by their readers. https:…
@carlbeijer Carl Beijer on x
Musk veering wildly between “I'm not selective in the internal Twitter correspondence I release” one moment, and then deleting his DM exchange with Taibbi the next
@junlper @junlper on x
nothing funnier happening with elon musk right now than him leaking messages during his falling out with matt taibbi https://twitter.com/...
@kaivanshroff Kaivan Shroff on x
Musk shares, then deletes, DMs with handpicked fake journalist Matt Taibbi. Just a few weeks ago Taibbi denied Musk was his source for his compromised “Twitter files.” Most reasonable people thought Taibbi was lying at the time. This seems to further support that conclusion. http…
@lib_crusher @lib_crusher on x
Oh my God ahahahahahahah https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@_punjaab @_punjaab on x
@mehdirhasan @mtaibbi Elon deleted his DMs to Taibbi,but thanks to his messed up algorithm one can still see it. https://twitter.com/...
@jamesfourm Jay McKenzie on x
Musk deleted his tweet quickly, but I was able to find a cached version of the (now-deleted) tweet in which Elon shared his private communications with Matt Taibbi over Signal. Here you go. I archived it twice, just in case. https://web.archive.org/... https://archive.li/UN4Jd
@theserfstv @theserfstv on x
Just when you thought the Matt Taibbi Elon Musk arc couldn't get anymore hilariously embarassing https://twitter.com/...
@jpanzer@mastodon.social John Panzer on mastodon
@caseynewton “Unfortunately, it is not possible to ask Twitter for confirmation, since its public relations team was laid off, and now the press email auto-responds with a poop emoji.”
@caseynewton@mastodon.social Casey Newton on mastodon
Uh yeah maybe don't use Twitter Circles ever again. Also every other part of Twitter, but especially this one https://techcrunch.com/...
@iancoldwater Ian Coldwater on x
I made a Twitter Circle with one person in it and posted this tweet for science. This was the result. Two people I don't follow saw the tweet & liked it. One of those people doesn't follow me either. Twitter Circles aren't private. Don't post anything you want private in them. ht…
@t3dotgg @t3dotgg on x
“Confirmed someone I'm not even following was able to see a private Twitter Circle tweet (thank you @TheSahilDev) This hurts trust in the platform a lot. Should be top priority @TwitterEng”
@adamjmoussa Adam on x
well I just got confirmation that Twitter algo is serving some Circle posts to For You tab of people who follow you (but are not in circle) https://twitter.com/...
@ernurse86 @ernurse86 on x
Yeah, Twitter circles are broken. Twice now in 12 hours I've had circle tweets get likes from people I don't even follow. Don't use circles for anything you don't want everyone to see because it's not private or safe like Twitter claims
@ac3attorn3y Godot Jove on x
hey guys, just a heads up! your Twitter Circle may be available to those who are not in your circle. be careful about posting there. https://twitter.com/...
@oneunderscore__ Ben Collins on x
Be careful on this broken website. https://techcrunch.com/...
@wbm312 Whitney Merrill on x
This is a data breach under EU law. See the ~$550K fine from the Ireland DPC in 2020 over a permissions bug. The “Only people in @ IanColdwater's Twitter Circle can see this Tweet” scopes this to only a certain set of users, which is then not respected & shared more widely. https…
@dariccott @dariccott on x
I repeat, Twitter circle is no longer private. This bird app is glitched out.
@racheldoerrie Rachel Doerrie on x
AliExpress Tony Stark is at it, again. https://twitter.com/...
@abrahamjoseph @abrahamjoseph on x
I am, to my surprise, the subject of this article! https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
@saeeddicaprio @saeeddicaprio on x
there are only 60 people in my circles it's actually so over https://twitter.com/...
@benyahr Ben Yahr on x
Well shit https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@sarabangtan07 @sarabangtan07 on x
I can def confirm this: “It's possible, for instance, to see tweets from people who have blocked you, which poses yet another serious privacy concern.” https://techcrunch.com/...
@ariehkovler Arieh Kovler on x
First saw reports of this bug more than 24 hours ago. That it hasn't been fixed yet, given the severity, is a sign of how messed up Twitter HQ must be. https://twitter.com/...
@louisathelast Louisa on x
My lack of trust is once again vindicated https://twitter.com/...
@gergelyorosz Gergely Orosz on x
Twitter Circles was a way to serve private content to a group of ppl. It leaks this private content. This is a problem for Twitter as various privacy watchdogs across countries (mostly in the EU) will yet again fine the site for this. The consequences of firing too many people. h…
@pranavdixit @pranavdixit on x
It's going to be DMs next, isn't it? https://twitter.com/...
@fwd @fwd on x
An apparent glitch is leaking some extremely “spicy” content. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
@buzzfeednews @buzzfeednews on x
For You: a stranger's nudes https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
@zoebritton @zoebritton on x
God damn it y'all https://twitter.com/...
@jamesrbuk James Ball on x
This is the exact fear I've heard at least five people express since Musk took over Twitter! Very cool, very safe! https://twitter.com/...
@adamjmoussa Adam on x
talked to @stokel to sound the alarm about circles falling apart https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
@stokel @stokel on x
Lock up your nudes! Literally. I spoke to @adamjmoussa and @abrahamjoseph about Twitter Circles posts leaching into the For You feed for @BuzzFeedNews https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
@sandofsky Ben Sandofsky on x
Happy “FCC Consent Order,” to all who celebrate. https://twitter.com/...
@iancoldwater Ian Coldwater on x
“People shouldn't post anything private on the Internet anyway!” ok fellow infosec professional, but people *do* do this, and meeting people where they are & showing them why something is important generally works better than smugly feeling good about yourself & yelling at them h…
@adamrackis Adam Rackis on x
Time to check in and see how Twitter's hardcore software engineering is going https://twitter.com/...
@chancery_daily @chancery_daily on x
brand safety, but make it not, and make it for intimate personal shit https://twitter.com/...
@carnage4life Dare Obasanjo on x
I've seen people comment off and on over the past few weeks that Twitter Circles aren't private. See below for an experiment that proves they aren't. It's reasonable to assume that every feature on Twitter is broken these days and you don't want to share anything sensitive here h…
@dariccott @dariccott on x
I hope it's not too retroactive, omg 💀😭
@wbm312 Whitney Merrill on x
Oh the EU regulators will love this! https://twitter.com/...
@t3dotgg Theo on x
Holy shit this is bad https://twitter.com/...
@chrisgeidner @chrisgeidner on x
“For you,” but when it's absolutely not supposed to be for you. https://techcrunch.com/...
@mgogel Michael Gogel on x
Your twitter discussions are NOT private. Your direct messages either https://twitter.com/...
@libshipwreck @libshipwreck on x
Another day, another bit of proof that Twitter's demise will not be a sudden decisive collapse, but instead a steady accumulation of glitches and failures that eventually render the platform unusable... https://techcrunch.com/...
@olaasm @olaasm on x
Never used that shit because nobody deserves any added scrutiny they may get from LEAs if I added them to “my circle,” but beware: https://twitter.com/...
@dancow Dan Nguyen on x
Ohhh...craaaap. This happened to me twice today already, and I thought the tweet “disappeared” because the users had deleted their spicy circle tweets. Can't believe this is how I found out we're not super secret friends 😿 https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...

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