Elon Musk has some big news for X users. The owner of the social media platform announced on June 26 that starting from the next day, hashtags will be banned for ads on X. His post on the same mentioned, “Starting tomorrow, the esthetic nightmare that is hashtags will be banned from ads on X.”
It should be noted here that regular users can still use hashtags and the current rule will only apply for paid ads. Musk had mentioned his disappointment with hashtags previously also as he opined that they were no longer necessary and rather hampered the visual clarity of any post.
Starting tomorrow, the esthetic nightmare that is hashtags will be banned from ads on 𝕏
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 26, 2025
Last year in December, talking about the hashtags, Musk said, “The system doesn’t need them anymore and they look ugly.” He urged users to stop using them since according to him they were outdated. While Musk commented on the uselessness of hashtags, he hinted that xAI-made AI chatbot Grok can help with engagement of posts, for which hashtags were mostly used.
Netizens naturally reacted to Musk’s announcement as one user tagged Grok asked “do you still recommend us to use them in some of our posts? Got any tips on how to use it effectively?” The AI chatbot replied to this, saying “Yes, hashtags are still useful for regular posts on X, despite the ad ban starting June 27, 2025. They boost visibility and engagement. Use 1-2 relevant hashtags per post to avoid looking spammy.”
Another user, clearly unhappy with Musk’s latest move, commented, “RIP #hashtags. End of an era”. A third user posted, “Are you kidding me? Hashtags are the lifeblood of X! Banning them from ads is like banning oxygen from the air. Absolute clown move, X!”
Besides stirring the internet with this new update on X, Musk has been headlining the news this month mostly because of his separation from BFF Donald Trump. The tech billionaire, who had been heading the Department of Government Efficiency under Trump’s administration officially exited The White House at the end of May and proceeded to wage a war against the American President on social media.
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Musk made all kinds of allegations against Trump, one of which claimed that Trump’s name is in the Epstein files and that is the reason behind those files not being available to the public. However, the Tesla owner eventually calmed down and apologized for those posts with Trump also seemingly accepting his apologies.
With his new rules for X, Musk is again facing criticism and it now remains to be seen how users adapt them to this new change and if Grok can indeed replace hashtags and serve its function perfectly.
