The Green Party, SPD, and Linke have withdrawn from the social media service X, formerly known as Twitter, in a coordinated move. This decision was revealed in consistent statements from the parties across the platform on Monday. Affected by this measure are the official accounts of the political groups, as well as the private accounts of several prominent politicians. In their statements, the parties cited that X increasingly fosters disinformation and that political debate has deteriorated into merely exchanging uninformative content.
The basis for their concerns involves Elon Musk, the US billionaire who purchased Twitter in October 2022 and subsequently renamed it X. Since the acquisition, safeguards designed to combat disinformation were reportedly dismantled, allegedly to promote “free freedom of speech”. Furthermore, Musk’s endorsements of right-wing populist movements and his support for US President Donald Trump have fueled the desire among the parties to withdraw from the service.
The retreat impacts the official accounts of the Green Party, SPD, and Linke, including the accounts representing parliamentary factions and numerous other political figures, such as the party and faction leaders of the Greens. While the accounts are not being deleted, they are slated for temporary deactivation. The parties also advise their respective members and party members to consider withdrawing from X, although they maintain the freedom for any individual to decide whether or not they wish to remain on the platform. For future political debates in the digital sphere, the parties are directing attention toward other platforms, such as Bluesky.
