Strava will no longer let you add URL links to posts and has deleted all links in existing posts, a move that has been criticised by some users frustrated by the inconvenience and impact it could have, particularly on those hoping to raise money for charity.

Users noticed URLs being automatically removed from posts over the past couple of weeks, new uploads no longer showing the link and existing uploads now displaying a ‘This content is not available’ message.

And while there will be plenty of users hearing the news relatively unbothered, there have been frustrations aired from others expressing disappointment at the policy which will make life tougher for those who want to share links on their posts — whether that be to an event or race page, results list, sportive sign-up, charity fundraiser, club page on social media, personal social media account, YouTube video, or the numerous other things someone may wish to share with their Strava followers.

It is not clear if it is a permanent policy at this point. We contacted Strava for clarification about if links will be allowed again in the future, and to ask about the potential impact it could have on people raising money for charity, but were told the ride-sharing app has nothing to add beyond what is already in its Community Hub.

There Strava says it is an “ongoing situation” that comes in response to “a sustained campaign of inauthentic content posted to the platform” that requires “certain necessary steps to safeguard the community”.

Recently our team has been dealing with a sustained campaign of inauthentic content posted to the platform and as a result we have taken certain necessary steps to safeguard the community. One of the many measures we have taken is filtering links across multiple app surfaces. This was necessary to protect the community from harmful and violating content. We recognise that this has impacted many of you. We are also aware that non-links were inadvertently included in this filtering and we apologise for the disruption this has caused.

Community safety is our highest priority, and we will take any action necessary to protect them. As this is an ongoing situation, we do not currently have a timeline for when the filtering of links will end, but we appreciate the community’s patience as we work to keep everyone on Strava safe.

Needless to say, the situation has prompted plenty of discussion online, one user also sharing a picture of a communication they received from Strava’s Trust & Safety Team, in which the user is told “we are unable to lift the restriction at this time” and that Strava is “firmly committed to athlete safety […] We also take our compliance with legal requirements very seriously. To this end, we have implemented mechanisms to detect and prevent suspicious or unsafe activity on Strava.”

There was also a suggestion in some forums that even links to pages on Strava (such as groups or challenges) would be removed, although when we tried this earlier today we were still able to link to pages on Strava within activities. A link we included to a JustGiving page was however removed from the post.

One user posted on the Community Hub that: “Between the inaction regarding the clutter in the feed for ages, and now this censorship, I just cancelled my premium features after 11 years.”

Another wrote: “What they’ve done here—both in preventing links from being posted, and worse, in modifying user-contributed personal content—are serious breaches of trust. Their response to this has been insufficient, off the cuff, and frankly rings of adolescence. I get so much value from Strava that I will have a hard time cancelling my Pro subscription but I am very seriously considering it. It’s not just these actions, but what it shows more deeply about how they view their customer base.

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“I just can’t get over how inappropriate, rash, and incompetent it was of them to to edit people’s past content, including that of all paying customers. Outrageous.”

Someone else replied: “I hope they bring links back. Posting the song of the ride is the reason why I bother to write a post at all! Don’t call yourself social media, make me pay for it, and then not allow anyone to share any links.”

A quick visit through high-profile athletes’ pages shows the new Strava world without links, Chris Froome’s much criticised posts advertising mobile banking app Curve now looking like this.

You may not miss that, but users have pointed out the potential implications for clubs, individuals, events and everyday use. Some of the complaints online are about the impact on communities, clubs or groups — as well as individual users, plenty of whom already pay a subscription each month, being inconvenienced.

Whether that be a cycling YouTuber now unable to leave an easily accessible URL to their latest video, a club being unable to link the sign-up page of an upcoming event it is hosting, an athlete being unable to share a results page of the race they finished, or a rider raising money for charity being unable to link their fundraising page, from the reaction online there are plenty who have been left scratching their heads.

But what do you think? Had you even noticed the change? Will it affect your use of the app? Let us know in the comments…