Business

The Guardian quits Twitter/X due to racism and conspiracy theories

Published on

November 14, 2024

The Guardian's main Twitter/X account

British newspaper The Guardian announced Wednesday it will no longer post on X, the social networking website previously known as Twitter, due to the platform’s promotion of racism and far-right conspiracy theories.

A brief statement on the newspaper’s website said it believed the benefits of its presence on X are now outweighed by the negatives, and that resources to promote its content could be better spent elsewhere.

“This is something we have been considering for a while given the often disturbing content promoted or found on the platform, including far-right conspiracy theories and racism,” the newspaper said. “The US presidential election campaign served only to underline what we have considered for a long time: that X is a toxic media platform and that its owner, Elon Musk, has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse.”

All of the company’s official accounts, including @guardian with nearly 11 million followers, will no longer be updated. Reporters working for the newspaper, however, may continue to use X and content from the platform may be embedded within articles.

“Our reporters will also be able to carry on using the site for news-gathering purposes, just as they use other social networks in which we do not officially engage,” the newspaper said.

Also on Wednesday, former CNN host Don Lemon said he too was leaving X in favor of Bluesky. “I once believed it was a place for honest debate and discussion, transparency, and free speech, but I now feel it does not serve that purpose,” he said.

Elon Musk’s $44 billion takeover of Twitter in 2022 spurred a growing interest in alternatives, including Meta’s Threads, Bluesky and Mastodon. X under Musk has been criticized for enabling the spread of harmful content, including misinformation. Musk has also become a vocal supporter of President-elect Donald Trump.

Threads recently reported more than 275 million monthly users, though most of them are linked to Instagram accounts. On Wednesday, Bluesky reached 15 million users amid growing interest in the wake of Trump’s election victory.