Users will no longer be able to include hashtags on advertisements on X, tech billionaire Elon Musk announced Thursday.
“Starting tomorrow [Friday], the esthetic nightmare that is hashtags will be banned from ads on X,” Musk wrote in a post early Thursday morning.
Below the post, one user asked Musk’s artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, Grok whether it recommends use of hashtags for other posts. The chatbot said hashtags are still useful for regular posts.
“They [hashtags] boost visibility and engagement,” Grok wrote, adding a number of recommendations on how to use hashtags to maximize reach.
“While Elon Musk has criticized hashtags, data supports their effectiveness for regular posts,” Grok said.
Since purchasing the platform formerly known as Twitter in 2022, Musk has repeatedly criticized the use of hashtags. The change comes just months after Musk told users to “please stop using hashtags.”
“The system doesn’t need them anymore and they look ugly,” he wrote in a post on X last December.
It follows a number of changes Musk has made to the social media network. Many of the changes centered around pulling back content moderation measures and algorithm adjustments.
