2 European papers to stop posting content on ‘toxic’ X

Copies of the British, left-leaning newspaper, The Guardian. © Adrian Dennis, AFP

LONDON — Britain’s The Guardian newspaper announced Wednesday it would no longer post content from its official accounts on Elon Musk’s X, branding it a “toxic media platform” home to “often disturbing content.”

On Thursday, Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia announced it would also cease publishing its reports on X, which it said had become a “disinformation network.”

READ: How to deactivate your X account (formerly Twitter) 

“We think that the benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives,” The Guardian, a left-leaning newspaper, which has nearly 11 million followers on X, said in a statement on its website.

It added that its “resources could be better used promoting our journalism 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 statement noted.

‘Diminished role’

“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.”

The paper’s main X handle—@guardian—was still accessible Wednesday but a message on it advised “this account has been archived” while redirecting visitors to its website.

The Guardian noted that X users would still be able to share its articles, and that it would still “occasionally embed content from X” within its articles given “the nature of live news reporting.”

It also said its reporters would still be able to use the site and other social networks on which the paper does not have an account.

“Social media can be an important tool for news organizations and help us to reach new audiences but, at this point, X now plays a diminished role in promoting our work,” The Guardian added.

Musk purchased X, formerly known as Twitter, for $44 billion in 2022 and has consistently courted controversy with his use of the platform, particularly during the recent US presidential election.

Musk endorsed Donald Trump and used his personal account boasting nearly 205 million followers to sway voters in favor of the Republican, with a slew of incendiary, misleading posts criticized for cranking up the political temperature.

‘Echo chamber’

Trump on Tuesday announced that the Tesla and SpaceX billionaire would lead a so-called Department of Government Efficiency in his incoming administration, alongside the entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

Explaining its decision to stop posting on X, La Vanguardia, a Barcelona-based daily, said the platform had become “an echo chamber” full of “conspiracy theories and disinformation” that would not have had such an impact with “effective and reasonable moderation.”

Musk has gutted trust and safety teams, scaled back content moderation efforts and restored known conspiracy theorists to the platform since purchasing it for $44 billion in 2022.

“Hatred of ethnic minorities, misogyny and racism” were among the viral posts “that violate human rights” but captured users’ attention and more money through advertising, the Spanish newspaper added.

Will still be follower

La Vanguardia also denounced the growth of bots spreading disinformation, including India-based accounts commenting on Spain’s devastating October floods that have killed 223 people.

But the Catalan daily said it would continue following people, businesses and institutions on X to inform readers of messages and debates.

Its journalists will also be free to keep using it “within the guidelines of restraint and respect for human rights and freedom of expression” required of them in all settings.