It is a URL shortening service owned and operated by X (formerly Twitter). When a user posts a link on the platform, the service automatically shortens the URL to a t.co link. For example, a long URL such as “https://www.example.com/very/long/article/path” might be transformed into “https://t.co/abcdefg”.
This service provides several benefits, including protecting users from malicious websites, tracking click-through rates on links shared on the platform, and ensuring that links do not exceed the character limit of posts. Historically, its implementation was driven by the need to address security concerns and improve the overall user experience on the social network.